Survey and Interactive Map of IXPs in Latin America and the Caribbean
21/06/2022
Since their inception, Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) have become a key part of Internet development. In Latin America and the Caribbean, traffic is currently exchanged at approximately hundred locations.
A recent study conducted by LAC-IX, the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Exchange Point Operators Association, showed sustained growth in the deployment of new infrastructure, as seen in the image below.
Cumulative growth in the number of IXPs
While the growth in the number of IXPs is an indicator of their relevance for our region, it should be noted that we at the Association work to strengthen IXPs through the deployment of new tools and services following the best practices adopted worldwide. These activities are conducted within a framework of collaboration with the Internet Society and LACNIC.
Over the last two or three years, the development of new IXPs has been accompanied by and increased interest on the part of the Internet community, specialized media, and industry organizations in learning more about the situation in our region. In response to this demand, LAC-IX has surveyed all currently operational Internet exchange point.
We studied the data obtained on the IXPs in our region and used this information to prepare an interactive map.
There are currently 98 locations where Internet traffic can be exchanged in the LAC region. Of this total, 77 belong to organizations that are part of LAC-IX, thus forming a solid and representative community.
The growth in the use of the Internet and consequently in the volume of traffic circulating through the network has led IXPs to expand the capabilities of their infrastructure. The image below shows the port speeds available at the region’s IXPs.
IXPs also contribute to Internet stability by offering their infrastructure to host root server copies. As can be seen in the image below, there is broad diversity among the root server copies distributed across different IXPs in the region.
The interactive map displays the geographic distribution of IXPs across our region. It also shows the following information:
- Name of the IXP
- City
- Country
- Autonomous System Number (ASN)
- Website
- Start of operations
- Number of connected participants
- Number of CDNs
- MANRS IXPP records
- RPKI Validation
General view of the interactive map
Pop-up showing information for an IXP
One of the most relevant aspects shown by the interactive map is the geographic distribution of IXPs across the region. Today, practically every country has at least one Internet Exchange Point installed in their territory. This helps improve Internet service quality and stability in these countries.
This work was presented at the regional 2022 LAC Peering Forum. It has been published and is freely accessible at https://lac-ix.org/ixps/. It is a valuable tool that serves as a reference source for both individuals and organizations that wish to use it for academic, research, dissemination, or commercial purposes.
The views expressed by the authors of this blog are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LACNIC.