10 November 2003
Wellington-based Internet Exchange operator CityLink expands into Regional Cities
CityLink Limited today announced it has commenced planning and building regional Internet Peering Exchanges in Christchurch, Hamilton, Palmerston North and Dunedin, as well as enhancing the existing Auckland exchange.
Since 1997, CityLink has been the operator of the New Zealand Broadband Internet Peering Exchanges in Wellington (WIX – Wellington Internet eXchange) and Auckland (APE – Auckland Peering Exchange).
CityLink’s CEO and Managing Director Neil de Wit said, “CityLink peering and broadband environments are naturally expanding to meet the growing broadband markets, both actual and perceived. Internet exchanges are the core of how the global Internet works and New Zealand is no different. CityLink is continuing to do our bit for the growth of the ICT digital economy as the Internet infrastructure is such an important part; it’s a key enabler for many parts of the overall economy.”
CityLink is now planning to establish a number of peering exchanges in other cities; initially Christchurch and Hamilton, then Palmerston North and Dunedin. These Internet eXchanges (IX’s) are also called GigaPoPs or Broadband “meet-me points”. This local infrastructure then allows interchange of IP (Internet Protocol) traffic, normally on a zero tariff basis between agreeable exchange participants, thus allowing local IP traffic to remain local. The exchanges allow participants to interconnect at an Ethernet layer at 10 or 100 or 1,000 MBit/s.
Additionally, CityLink is also underway with upgrading APE, the Auckland Peering Exchange. This upgrade includes location diversity away from the Sky Tower site and Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure.
De Wit stated “The new GigaPoP Exchanges will be established progressively during the first part of 2004. This infrastructure is vital for the growth of the Internet in New Zealand. CityLink has a reputation as the neutral operator of these exchanges and this will continue.” De Wit added “CityLink has helped the development of New Zealand’s broadband infrastructure and I see CityLink continuing to be a key broadband provider with IX deployment”.
“We will start building before Christmas after needed planning and research, with the first new exchange commissioned early in 2004” said de Wit. “These peering locations will assist local broadband service providers to deliver local services; it’s also a strong economic development incentive, and potentially dovetails with some of the current Government ICT initiatives.”
About CityLink: CityLink was originally formed in late 1995 following a Wellington City Council sponsored InfoCity economic development initiative to deploy an advanced, low cost telecommunications network within Wellington City. Today CityLink Ltd is a privately held Wellington based company employing 22 staff. CityLink has already installed an extensive fibre optic based network throughout the greater Wellington and inner Auckland CBD metropolitan areas. Since the formal public launch in mid ‘97, CityLink has installed more than 90km of fibre optic cable interconnecting approximately 300 key Wellington and Auckland CBD buildings.