Agreement between MIX and VSIX

The agreement will allow companies in the Veneto Region to benefit from the direct connection to the main Italian internet exchange.

Milan, 7 June 2022 – MIX, the most important Italian Internet exchange, based in Milan, and VSIX, the IXP of Padua, have signed a framework agreement to undertake forms of collaboration and experimentation of a technological and scientific nature in the field of technologies innovative IT and telematic systems. Furthermore, to facilitate the interchange of Internet traffic between the North East area with other areas of Italy and abroad, a level 2 interconnection was created between the MIX and VSIX sites, through bidirectional remote peering solutions, including those of selective type. The new collaboration activated in the North East between the two Internet Exchanges MIX and VSIX will make it possible to share common experiences and know-how on a plurality of increasingly important issues such as network security and the promotion of peering towards local players. The partnership will allow a wider monitoring of Internet services in Italy through a common observatory that can be of help in evaluating or supporting initiatives and projects related to digitisation. It will also be possible to experiment with remote peering services for the interconnection between different areas of Italy with the aim of facilitating the transition towards the use of digital by businesses, citizens and public administrations, aiming to reduce the digital divide (the index overall digitalisation of the economy and society DESI – 2021 places Italy in 20th place out of 27 at European level, but it is in 23rd place with reference to connectivity).

MIX has the highest concentration of networks in Italy connected in a single point, it is one of the few IXPs in Europe with its own datacenter (Carrier-neutral and datacenter-neutral) and offers high standards of certified reliability and safety (ISO 27001 and OPEN-IX OIX-1). Veneto companies and, in particular, those of the Public Administration, will therefore be able to contact VSIX, which will act as enabler of the services, and thus seize the opportunities offered by interconnection to MIX in complete safety.

“The development of the internet requires greater capillarity and high-performance interconnections in order to quickly use content and services. The collaboration between the MIX and VSIX platforms goes precisely in this direction”, declared Alessandro Talotta, Chairman & Executive President of MIX.

VSIX, already present with a PoP in Milan that facilitates the interaction between the two IXPs, represents the main hub for the North-East of the internet, a real local edge node that facilitates the exchange of data also between territorial operators who will therefore be able to benefit from remote peering agreements through MIX for their infrastructural developments in Italy and in the world. “The partnership started with MIX constitutes an important opportunity to expand the potential of connectivity and exchange of good practices for the North-East at the Italian level, as well as access new services that can benefit businesses, citizens and the public administration. Furthermore, we could help the territory’s digital transition process more strongly”, added the President of VSIX, Professor Eleonora Di Maria.