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Peering is an unclear term in some sectors of the industry; it can get confused and consequently minimize or distort its advantages. We have listed some of the most critical FAQs of the operators when considering doing peering in Mexico.
What is peering?
Peering is the activity that occurs when two or more networks agree to exchange traffic for mutual benefit, usually without reciprocal payments. This can happen privately, from one system to another, or publicly through Internet Exchange Points (IXP) where multiple networks can converge at a single point for efficient traffic exchange.
What is the difference between public and private peering?
The term peering has been deformed with the passage of time, some operators name all connections that are raised in an IXP as peering, but not always the peering happens in an IXP, the networks can also agree to share traffic through of Private Networks Interconnections (PNI) and that is when public and private peering differ.
- Private peering is commonly known as cross-connection or PNI and results in a dedicated connection between two networks to share traffic.
- Public peering is what is usually known as peering and can happen thanks to bilateral (between two parties) or multilateral (between multiple parties) connections.
What is the benefit of public peering?
According to the Internet Society, Internet traffic exchange points (IXPs) can improve quality by reducing latency, and reduce the cost of Internet access in local communities, as they contribute to strengthening connectivity as well as the local industry. Internet.
Performing peering through the IXP decreases the load on the IP Transit and Transport links; reducing costs and maintaining local traffic with low latency.
- IXP: Fixed cost with aggregate networks.
- PNI: Variable cost with a single network.
How do IXPs work in Mexico?
In Mexico, national IXPs have not been successful so far due to the lack of access to local and international content, the lack of neutrality and the refusal of the dominant network to make interconnections in these ecosystems. Operators do not share traffic with each other due to the uncertainty caused by this scenario.
A six-member association founded the Internet Traffic Exchange Consortium (CITI) and operates one of the IXPs in Mexico, hosted by KIO Networks. However, most of Mexico’s traffic is routed through the US. UU
The needs of México Sur are met from Mexico City, Querétaro, and the surrounding markets, while North Mexico’s traffic is routed exclusively through the United States. Mexico North has many of the most populated cities in the country and better access to the Internet.
The latest official statistics available show that the penetration of residential Internet broadband in Mexico is 43% (4Q 2016) throughout the country and more than 50% in the northern states of the country.
So how can operators do peering in Mexico?
MDC has the only IXP in the United States focused on peering with Mexico. The strategic location of MDC has been one of the critical points where Mexican operators come together to interconnect to Tier-1 networks and, more recently, to content providers. The IXP is 10 miles from the border with Mexico.
