Azerconnect’s international backbone operator AzerTelecom announced on Friday it has entered into a strategic partnership with DE-CIX to launch a new internet exchange in Azerbaijan.
The new exchange, AZE-IX, will serve as a neutral platform for local and international networks, content providers, cloud service providers, and enterprises.
AZE-IX will be developed using DE-CIX’s interconnection model, which supports internet exchanges across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas. AzerTelecom said AZE-IX will reduce latency and enhance the performance and resilience of backbone internet networks.
AzerTelecom also said the launch of AZE-IX represents an important milestone in the implementation of the Digital Silk Way project – a transcontinental initiative spearheaded by Azerconnect’s owner, NEQSOL Holding, to establish a new digital corridor between Europe and Asia.
In that context, AZE-IX will further support the development of data exchange and digital connectivity between Europe, Asia and the Middle East, said NEQSOL Holding CEO Kirill Rubinski.
“Through AzerTelecom’s partnership with DE-CIX, we are bringing world-class interconnection capabilities to Azerbaijan, enabling data to move faster, more securely and more efficiently,” Rubinski said in a statememnt. “AZE-IX is fully aligned with NEQSOL Holding’s strategy of investing in scalable infrastructure, developing international partnerships and strengthening Azerbaijan’s role as a digital bridge between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.”
DE-CIX has established internet exchanges in over 600 cities worldwide in 60 markets across North and South America, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as South, East, and Southeast Asia. AZE-IX represents the company’s first steps in Western and Central Asia, said DE-CIX CEO Ivo Ivanov.
“Azerbaijan’s position at the crossroads of the Caspian, Black Sea and Central Asian corridors makes it a natural location for a new connectivity hub,” Ivanov said.
