Growth in traffic and in the number of members connected to GigaPIX has led to the strengthening of the interconnection capacity of the various technical rooms of the Internet Exchange Point (IXP) provided by the Unit FCCN.
The end of 2020 implied a reinforcement of the GigaPIX capacity, with an increase in the interconnection capacity of the various technical rooms. In November and December 2020, the two rooms at Av. do Brasil were connected at 100Gbbps, and there was also an increase in capacity with an additional 100G in the interconnection between one of the technical rooms at Av. do Brasil and Equinix (Prior Velho). Equipment was also replaced on LAN2 at Av. do Brasil, which now enables new members to be connected to 100G on this network.
This increase in capacity, initially planned for 2021, is due to the growth in use of GigaPIX. As a traffic exchange point, this Internet Exchange Point (IXP), provided by the FCCN Unit, has seen its use increase since its creation, with sustained average annual growth of 36%. 2020 has reinforced these figures, with an increase of 49% in December 2020, compared to the same period last year, for example.
There are several reasons justifying this growth, namely the greater number of people teleworking, the increase in Internet use for online purchases or the greater consumption of streaming content. On the other hand, during 2020, there was a 100% increase in the number of members connected to GigaPIX at Equinix.
In 2021, it is planned to continue this capacity reinforcement work, strengthening the interconnections between the various data centres. To this end, a fibre ring will be created using dedicated transmission equipment with capacity for several 100G circuits. This structure will have the capacity, in the future, to support interfaces for higher speeds, safeguarding the growth needs of GigaPIX for the next few years.
What is GigaPIX?
As an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) provided by the Unit FCCN, GigaPIX is a service that makes it possible to interconnect various Internet providers (ISPs) with content distribution networks (CDNs), exchanging traffic between them, reducing delays and providing a better Internet user experience. On the other hand, this action allows for a very significant reduction in costs by avoiding the use of more expensive international connections. GigaPIX is present in Lisbon in 3 technical rooms, two of which are on Av. do Brasil and a third (Equinix) in Prior Velho. It also has a presence in Porto. GigaPIX is the oldest IXP with the largest number of members in Portugal.
To learn more about GigaPIX, visit: https://www.fccn.pt/institucional/gigapix/
