The not-for-profit London Internet Exchange (LINX), which handles a large chunk of UK and global data traffic through their switches via around 900 members (broadband ISPs, mobile operators etc.), has today announced that their regional internet exchange in Manchester has hit a new “record maximum traffic peak” of 725Gbps (Gigabits per second).
The exchange states that LINX Manchester has seen consistent growth in traffic, rising by an average of 100-200Gbps throughout 2024. At least part of this growth has been fuelled by recent developments, such as the £23.8m project (public investment) to deploy a new wholesale Dark Fibre network across the area, which was part of the previous Government’s Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN) programme.
To further enhance Manchester’s internet connectivity, LINX’s new location on its Manchester network went live in September last year at the Lunar Digital Data Centre, providing peering and further interconnection services to deliver improved performance, increased redundancy and lower network latency by keeping traffic local to the Manchester area.
Datum is another of the data centre partners on the LINX Manchester network and its MCR2 data centre in South Manchester is due to go live by the end of Q1 2025.
Colin Peckham, LINX Interconnection Specialist, said:
“Manchester is a thriving hub of business and technology, at the forefront of innovation and economic growth, so it’s vital that the area has fast, resilient network infrastructure. Working with our data centre partners in the area, we’re able to quickly deploy advanced peering and cross-connect services to strengthen connectivity in the region and best support the people and businesses driving forward growth. Keeping traffic local keeps latency low and bolsters network security to ensure that internet access remains strong and operational for longer.”
