Network, content, and Internet service providers continue to ramp up interest in the independent, member-run Internet exchange model employed by the Montreal Internet Exchange, a non-profit organization working to create a more robust, high-performing Internet in the province of Quebec. QIX recently reached 50 peering members, including some of the largest content providers and cloud service providers in the world.

“It has been immensely gratifying to see QIX establish itself as a key exchange point, with traffic peaking over 35 gigabits per second (Gbps),” commented Sylvie LaPerriere, QIX board of directors chair and interconnection relations at Google Inc. “This progress underscores the value of QIX as an important component of the Internet fabric serving Eastern Canada and the growth of traffic localization at the Internet’s edge. QIX members are finding accelerated traffic flow, reduced IP transit costs and enhanced data sovereignty through the peering arrangements facilitated by QIX. The strong upticks in membership levels and aggregate traffic are a testament to the significance of Montreal on the overall network map.”

QIX launched in April 2013 with nodes at both 625 and 1250 Rene-Levesque Boulevard West and support from the Quebec Scientific Information Network (RISQ) and Cologix. QIX traffic is exchanged locally in Quebec, while non-QIX Internet traffic that originates in Quebec is often routed to major networking hubs like Chicago and New York City, then back to the enduser in Quebec. This inefficient routing often diminishes network performance and the user experience while increasing latency, costs and risk.

“The success of QIX has created a new institution for the benefit of the Internet community in Montreal, which is a model for independent Internet Exchanges in markets across North America,” commented Graham Williams, chief operating officer, Cologix. “Cologix is a proud supporter of QIX, especially because of the value the exchange delivers to the local Montreal economy and broader Canadian tech infrastructure.”