LAHORE: The Lahore Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), recently launched in the provincial capital, would reduce dependency on international data routes, and it would ensure reliable and robust internet connectivity.
The technology was a joint venture of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) with the technical support of the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), said PITB here on Tuesday.
It noted that in today’s digital age, where instant connectivity and seamless data exchange were the norm, IXPs make it all possible, which is a physical location/hub where internet service providers (ISPs) and content delivery networks (CDNs) connect centrally to each other and exchange traffic locally at a neutral venue. This helps to improve the performance and reliability of the internet by reducing the distance that data has to travel. It has a direct impact on streamlining the internet traffic and companies experience a significant reduction in the distance data. This minimises latency, improves data speed due to localised traffic and leads to potential cost savings.
Commenting on the technology, PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf said that Launching IXP locally would reduce dependency on international data routes.
“Additionally, it would ensure reliable and robust internet connectivity.”
The Lahore IXP would facilitate faster access to content hosted locally and any international internet outage would not affect internet access to content hosted in Pakistan. Corporate businesses would benefit from this technology. Firstly, it would improve network performance; by connecting to an IXP, corporate businesses could exchange traffic directly with other networks, reducing the number of intermediate hops and improving the speed and latency of data transmissions. This can lead to better user experiences for customers and employees.
It would also save costs, as directly exchanging traffic through an IXP could reduce the need for long-distance data transit services, which can be expensive. Instead of paying for each data transfer to traverse multiple networks, businesses could exchange data at the IXP, potentially lowering their costs.
Moreover, by participating in an IXP, businesses could establish multiple connections to different ISPs, ensuring redundancy in case of network outages. This could enhance the overall reliability of their network connections. Lastly, it would provide access to content providers; many CDNs and large online platforms connect to IXPs. Corporate businesses could directly connect to these platforms, improving access to popular content and services for their users.
The ISPs would benefit from reduced bandwidth costs; they could exchange traffic directly with other ISPs through an IXP, reducing the need to purchase expensive long-distance transit services. This can help lower operational costs. Moreover, by interconnecting at an IXP, the ISPs could reduce the distance data travels between networks, leading to improved network performance, reduced latency and better quality of service. They could easily scale their network capacity by adding more connections to the IXP as their user base grows. This allows them to accommodate increased demand without significant infrastructure investments.
The IXPs also offer substantial benefits to the public; they would experience faster internet, better local content access and better deals from ISPs on account of increased competition.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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