CATNIX, the neutral internet traffic exchange point in Catalonia managed by the Consortium of University Services of Catalonia (CSUC), strengthens its network with a new connection node installed last July at the Barcelona Cable Landing Station (Barcelona CLS), the submarine fiber optic cable landing and interconnection station operated by AFR-IX Telecom, located in Sant Adrià de Besòs.
Thanks to this agreement between CATNIX and AFR-IX Telecom, Barcelona CLS becomes CATNIX’s fourth point of presence, alongside those at Equinix (Barcelona), bitNAP (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat), and the original CATNIX node at CSUC, in the University Zone of Barcelona.
Alex Ramoneda, Deputy COO of Barcelona CLS, commented on the agreement: “For AFR-IX, it is important to have CATNIX, a reference neutral point in Catalonia, and we are very pleased to offer our clients a connection to CATNIX’s node to improve connectivity and traffic exchange, especially strengthening the local exchange network.”
For CATNIX, the new node is also strategic for its growth. Olga Lanau, General Director of CSUC, stated: “With the opening of this fourth node at Barcelona CLS, CATNIX consolidates itself as a neutral point close to companies and the public in Catalonia, improving redundancy and resilience by creating a ring with the other points of presence. Being at Barcelona CLS is a step forward to enhance connectivity and internet traffic exchange in Catalonia.”
25 Years of CATNIX Connectivity
The agreement between AFR-IX Telecom and CATNIX comes at a significant moment, as the latter celebrates its 25th anniversary. In 1999, the internet neutral point in Catalonia, CATNIX, was established to facilitate company connections. Today, it connects more than 50 networks, with over 300 PB of annual traffic, and with the new node at Barcelona CLS, data traffic is expected to increase by 25%.
Companies connected to CATNIX benefit from the platform as a local peering hub to exchange traffic with minimal latency. The neutral point offers cost savings, as a single connection to the point provides access to numerous networks from different companies, reducing traffic costs as local traffic does not have to travel through international connections. Additionally, CATNIX brings other internet services closer to its connected entities, with maximum quality and minimal latency.
For this reason, AFR-IX will also facilitate other clients from its infrastructure to connect to CATNIX’s node, aiming to offer better connectivity and traffic exchange conditions.
With this agreement, AFR-IX Telecom continues to reinforce its position as a digital hub in the Mediterranean.
About CATNIX
CATNIX is the traffic exchange infrastructure in Barcelona for operators, internet service providers, content providers, social networks, mobile phone companies, hosting services, cloud providers, and academic and research networks.
Managed by the Consortium of University Services of Catalonia (CSUC), it is a neutral, redundant, and high-availability infrastructure for traffic exchange, offering essential additional services for the internet’s functioning with minimal latency to its connected entities. With 25 years of experience working with operators and providers in Catalonia, CATNIX is the reference neutral point in the city of Barcelona and throughout Catalonia.
About AFR-IX Telecom
AFR-IX Telecom, founded in 2013, is a European-owned telecommunications and infrastructure operator. It operates the largest pan-African Metro Ethernet network and provides internet access in more than 50 African countries through terrestrial and submarine cables and its over 80 POPs. According to the Financial Times Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies annual ranking, AFR-IX is one of the fastest-growing telecom companies: ranked 8th (2020), 16th (2021), and 11th (2022) in the FT 1000 list.
In the infrastructure domain, AFR-IX Telecom owns the submarine cable station, Barcelona Cable Landing Station, and the Medusa submarine cable.
