Internet exchange Extreme IX to invest Rs 15 cr to expand network

The company, started by a group of Bulgarians, acts as a direct link between local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and major content delivery platforms on the internet, which is called as peering, and helps to reduce the cost of connectivity. Over the last four years, its network has grown to 12 locations in the financial capital with the addition of seven Points of Presence (POPs) recently.

Internet exchange Extreme IX on Thursday said it will be investing Rs 15 crore over the next six months to expand its coverage to new cities and strengthen the existing network. The company, started by a group of Bulgarians, acts as a direct link between local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and major content delivery platforms on the internet, which is called as peering, and helps to reduce the cost of connectivity.

Over the last four years, its network has grown to 12 locations in the financial capital with the addition of seven Points of Presence (POPs) recently. It has three POPs in Chennai, two in Hyderabad and one in Kolkata, Extreme Group Executive Director Raunak Maheshwari said. "We plan to add ten new cities and deepen the POPs in existing cities like Mumbai and have earmarked Rs 15 crore investment towards the same for the next six months," he told PTI.

For the new locations, it will target ten state capitals and some other large cities, where about 5-6 ISPs are present, he said, adding that major part of deepening of operations will happen within Mumbai as well. He noted that there are specific entities which help internet users access content from across the world, and charge internet consumers as well as content creators. An internet exchange dis-intermediates such entities and connects an ISP directly with the content creator and that reduces the costs.

There are two major internet exchanges in the country and only a minuscule percentage of traffic goes through the internet exchanges, he said.