Frankfurt am Main, 16 December 2021: DE-CIX, the world’s leading Internet Exchange (IX) operator, and Nokia deepen their long-standing partnership with the installation of new hardware for Europe’s largest Internet Exchange, located in Frankfurt, Germany. DE-CIX is upgrading the edge routers of its Frankfurt location to new Nokia 7750 SR-14 models. Alongside other optimizations, this will equip the IX for the future era of 800-Gigabit Ethernet (GE). In total, across the entire decentralized DE-CIX structure, three new high-performance routers will be installed, an investment of several million Euros. Specialized edge routers are a particularly critical element of an IX, given that they are located at the edge of the network and enable the connection of an internal network with external networks. DE-CIX in Frankfurt – with more than 35 different locations within the German metropolis, over 1100 connected networks, and a peak load of close to 11 Terabits per second data throughput – is the largest Internet Exchange in Europe.
“DE-CIX is well-known as a technology leader with the capability to build and operate a modern, scalable infrastructure. Through our partnership with Nokia, we have access to hardware of the latest generation to future-proof our platform and offer our customers reliable and seamless peering and interconnection services over the long term,” says Dr. Thomas King, Chief Technology Officer at DE-CIX. “With the broad portfolio of Nokia equipment, we can without a problem build Internet Exchanges of any size – an important pillar of our global expansion strategy.”
“Working with DE-CIX is really special for us,” says Ken Kutzler, Vice President of Nokia’s IP Routing Hardware business. “Together, we regularly push the limits of current technology and we’re proud to continue our innovative partnership. Customers like DE-CIX really are the fuel to our R&D efforts. Powered by the Nokia FP5 network processor in our 7750 SR lineup, DE-CIX can continue to expect best-in-class performance, smooth operations and a future-proof platform.”
Nokia recently introduced new features to its 7750 SR lineup, including 800GE support and a significant reduction in power consumption for highly sustainable IP networking. DE-CIX will start the upgrade before the end of 2021 and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2022. DE-CIX and Nokia have a longstanding relationship, which also encompasses joint R&D efforts and standardization initiatives.