ESpanix, the main neutral connectivity node in the Iberian Peninsula, has reached a strategic agreement with Barcelona Cable Landing Station (Barcelona CLS), owned by AFR-IX Telecom, to create a new remote access point at the submarine fiber-optic cable station in Sant Adrià de Besòs. This move addresses the need to provide operators and local businesses with the possibility of directly exchanging traffic with the Madrid node from Barcelona, avoiding the cost of transport between the two capitals.
The opening of this new access point at Barcelona CLS allows businesses in the region to connect their networks directly in Catalonia, fostering a more robust and efficient interconnection ecosystem characterized by reduced latency and greater resilience. Access from the Barcelona metropolitan area is available to both new members and those already connected in Madrid. In the latter case, members can choose to relocate their existing connection from Madrid to Barcelona or enable a new connection to increase capacity and resilience.
Additionally, thanks to the new interconnection between the two cities, AFR-IX Telecom is establishing its first POP in Madrid
Alex Ramoneda, Deputy COO of Barcelona CLS, expressed the significance of this agreement: “With this agreement with ESpanix, we can offer a highly competitive solution to businesses and CSPs who previously wouldn’t consider connecting to ESpanix due to the associated costs of being in Madrid. Now, they can exchange traffic locally, and if they need connectivity with Madrid, they have that option without having to deploy additional infrastructure.”
In turn, Amedeo Beck Peccoz, Sales Director of ESpanix, highlighted: “The natural evolution for the most important neutral nodes in other European countries is the opening of access points in other cities. ESpanix has seized the opportunity with Barcelona CLS to extend its presence beyond the Madrid metropolitan area. This step is part of ESpanix’s plan to expand into new locations following the introduction of the ESpanix Reach service this April, which enables access to the node from major data centers across Europe.”
Picture taken in ESpanix Peering Meeting in Madrid