EdgeConneX® has announced its new partnership with Richmond Internet Exchange (Richmond-IX), building a connectivity node directly into its Richmond Edge Data Center® (EDC). Richmond-IX was started in the fall of 2016 by Ninja-IX. Located just 10 miles from downtown, the 101,796-sq-ft Edge Data Center was purpose-built and precisely located to provide secure colocation for customers wishing to deliver content and applications to local-market consumers.

Positioned within a region that has historically been dependent on Ashburn for content delivery, this facility offers a diverse option for Richmond, while further expanding the edge of the network. By partnering with Richmond-IX, EdgeConneX's Richmond EDC will officially designate the Virginia state capital as an Edge market, bringing content closer to endusers throughout the region. In addition, EdgeConneX's strategic partnerships with network and cable operators at the local level guarantee the shortest and fastest carrier-neutral routes for effective content delivery to local market subscribers and internet customers.

"Following successful partnerships with EdgeConneX in Las Vegas and Phoenix, we're looking forward to this latest venture, as it provides an opportunity for the peering community to grow outside of Ashburn," says Paul Emmons, executive director of Ninja-IX (Phoenix, Vegas, Richmond, Sacramento). "As the second existing Internet Exchange in the region, the availability of Richmond-IX within EdgeConneX's Richmond EDC strengthens interconnectivity, providing an added layer of IX redundancy and diversity."

The new Richmond EDC provides concurrently maintainable power with an N+1 configuration and direct cross-connects to the IX providing speeds from 100Mbps to multi-10Gbps for customers. In addition, the building contains diverse Points of Entry (PoEs), with a variety of fiber conduits to physically diverse Meet-Me Rooms (MMRs). Along with available interconnection services, the current list of carriers includes Comcast, Level 3 Communications, Summit IG and Zayo.

"It's our mission to expand peering options across our entire global portfolio of Edge Data Centers," explains Clint Heiden, chief commercial officer, EdgeConneX. "Our latest partnership with the Richmond-IX builds upon this mission, delivering the necessary connectivity to rapidly and securely deliver bandwidth-intensive content and applications to the edge. In addition, by collaborating with Richmond-IX, we also gain the opportunity to provide our customers with these enhanced peering opportunities inside a flexible and scalable colocation environment, while giving tenants access to a diverse portfolio of content delivery networks."