DE-CIX, one of the world’s largest operators of Internet Exchanges (IXs), has set a new benchmark for global data throughput. On April 8 at 15:10 Eastern (19:10 UTC), the company recorded a historic peak in peering traffic, reaching 25 terabits per second (Tbit/s) across its global IX infrastructure.
The achievement marks a 130% increase in traffic volume since 2020, highlighting the rapid growth in global internet usage and the rising demand for high-capacity digital infrastructure.
To put the scale of this throughput in perspective, 25 Tbit/s is the equivalent of streaming approximately 14 million TikTok videos at the same time. DE-CIX, which first began operations in Frankfurt in 1995, now operates a network of data centers and carrier-neutral exchanges across the globe. These IXs serve as crucial interconnection points where enterprise networks, cloud providers, content platforms, and ISPs exchange traffic efficiently and securely.
What stands out about this latest milestone is that it wasn’t driven by a spike in one region alone. Instead, DE-CIX reported strong traffic contributions from a number of key IX locations, including Dallas, Madrid, Frankfurt, and Istanbul. Unlike many previous global traffic peaks that centered around a single regional exchange, this record was the result of synchronized high activity across multiple points in the DE-CIX network. Notably, DE-CIX Dallas exceeded the 1 Tbit/s mark for the first time, underscoring North America’s growing contribution to the exchange’s overall capacity.
4,000+ Networks across 600+ Cities
Commenting on the surge in traffic, Dr. Thomas King, Chief Technology Officer at DE-CIX, attributed the peak to a mix of concurrent global events. “The peak last night is the result of higher than usual data traffic from the confluence of multiple events, including the live streaming of sport and software updates, alongside the usual consumption of digital content and services. This peak demonstrates the power of peering, the glue that binds together the various networks that make up the Internet, including networks that supply software downloads, video content, and mobile Internet.”
Across the DE-CIX platform, more than 3,400 networks are interconnected, and total global throughput for 2024 has already reached 68 exabytes of data – another record for the company. DE-CIX Frankfurt, the organization’s original and flagship exchange, remains one of the largest globally, interconnecting nearly 1,100 networks. Today, the DE-CIX platform connects more than 4,000 networks across over 600 cities, positioning the company as a critical component of global digital infrastructure.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, DE-CIX continues to play a foundational role in shaping global Internet connectivity. The company’s infrastructure allows for low-latency, secure, and efficient data exchange – attributes that have become even more vital in an age dominated by cloud computing, real-time streaming, and AI-driven services.
