Dr. Thomas King, chief technology officer at DE-CIX, stated that a significant traffic spike in the middle of summer is unusual, especially when people are typically outside enjoying the good weather. He noted that in addition to internet use for entertainment, simultaneous software updates for devices worldwide also contribute significantly to data throughput. The recent data throughput of 12 Tbps, equivalent to streaming over 2.6 million HD videos simultaneously, follows news of 11 Tbps at the Frankfurt site in February 2022. Data traffic at the Frankfurt Internet Exchange has risen by 14% in 2022 and nearly 50% since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Dr. King also mentioned that since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a notable increase in digitalization, leading to a surge in data traffic and the demand for greater capacities at DE-CIX. While 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GE) ports were the standard a few years ago, 400 GE ports are now in use, with plans for the next capacity level at 800 GE ports. In related news, DE-CIX selected FLEXOPTIX as its exclusive supplier for global universal transceivers, utilizing their hardware at all global locations and future deployments.
Furthermore, DE-CIX announced plans to expand interconnection platforms in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, and Nigeria as part of an African expansion strategy. By the end of 2022, they aim to add six more countries to their network, including Cameroon, Congo, the Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, and Sudan.