Mexico-US interconnectivity advances with new projects

Mexico and the US are increasing interconnectivity with a series of cross-border projects for long-haul networks, internet exchange points and datacenter hosting.

Germany’s DE-CIX, deemed the world’s leading internet exchange operator, is entering Mexico through a distributed internet exchange structure, or IX, in Mexico City and Santiago de Querétaro. The IX is planned to go live in early 2024, hosted at Kio’s datacenters. 

Initially, DE-CIX is using one datacenter, Kio QRO1, in Santiago de Querétaro, and the Kio MEX2, MEX4 and MEX5 sites in Mexico City. 

More datacenters from other operators are expected to be enabled in due time, extending the company’s reach.

Kio has 13 core datacenters in Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Spain.  

The IX is expected to provide “a datacenter and carrier neutral, secure, and high-performance interconnection platform for ISPs, content delivery networks, network operators, cloud service providers and enterprises of all sizes,” DE-CIX said in a statement.

It will be directly connected to the ecosystem of DE-CIX in Dallas, which is the largest carrier and datacenter neutral IX serving the US southwest, according to the company. This is expected to enable low latency access to US-based clouds, content and applications. 

“We want to welcome DE-CIX to the Mexican market and we feel honored that the Kio platform was chosen as the best option to host the DE-CIX platform. Neutrality is one of our core business pillars and we welcome more added-value services to be provided to all members of our ecosystem. It’s great to see the Mexican market continuously attracting investment in the digital space,” Kio Data Centers CEO Santiago Suinaga said in a statement.

According to DE-CIX, the growing local ecosystem of cloud service providers – with AWS, Microsoft, Oracle and Google, among others, already on location or planning market entrance – will be enriched through access to North American cloud zones, and by enabling enterprise networks to directly connect to clouds over the DE-CIX cloud exchange.

MDC 

Meanwhile, MDC Data Centers announced the go-live of its MEX-IX peering platform in El Paso, Texas, in collaboration with Socium.CR and LAC-IX. 

Socium is specialized in support for the creation of secure traffic exchange points at an international level. LAC-IX is Latin America’s internet exchange points association, whose goal is to promote the growth of traffic inter-exchange.

“At MDC, we believe in the importance of internet exchange points as a key piece for the development of the internet in the region. We are thrilled to announce the MEX-IX launch, an internet exchange in El Paso, Texas, facilitated in partnership with Socium.CR and LAC-IX,” chief revenue officer Joel Pacheco said in a statement.

Carriers and ISPs will be able to access low-latency content via the MEX-IX, enabling them to offer enhanced service to end-users, even in remote areas, said MDC.

Content providers, CDNs, and network operators, likewise, might benefit from the decongestion of transport links and increased efficiency, alleviating their IP transit links and translating into cost savings, added the company.

El Paso provides good northbound routes toward Dallas and Los Angeles while concentrating networks that span the north and northwest of Mexico. Moreover, El Paso is a substantial local market, housing major companies, MDC said. 

“By connecting content providers with Mexico and south Texas networks, MEX-IX empowers local communities and enhances digital infrastructure. We believe it will pave the way for a more connected, cost-effective, and thriving network ecosystem on the border,” said Pacheco.

ZAYO

Communications infrastructure provider Zayo brokered a partnership with Mexico's long-haul fiber provider Fermaca Networks.

Fermaca is set to launch a long-haul dark fiber route in Mexico in 2025, which will be the newest and longest such route in the country in 20 years. 

Phase 1 will run fully underground, parallel to existing natural gas systems in some sections, and will follow highway routes elsewhere.

Zayo will leverage this route from Fermaca and its own redundant route north of the border to provide US and Mexican customers with reliable, secure, and diverse cross-border connectivity, it said in a statement.

The route will provide access through Querétaro with a diverse border crossing through El Paso. 

"Our partnership with Fermaca marks an exciting milestone for Zayo as we continue to push the boundaries of connectivity for the digital age," Zayo president Andrés Irlando said.

Last October, Zayo announced the expansion of its infrastructure and tier 1 IP network into the border cities of McAllen and Laredo, Texas, with two new 100G IP points of presence and 400G wavelengths functionalities.

Previously, the company announced plans for low-latency routes into São Paulo.

Zayo's global network comprises around 26mn kilometers of fiber. The network delivers a tier-1 internet backbone, providing secure, low-latency connectivity to global centers of commerce, as well as to 25 of the largest global exchanges.