BNIX (Belgian National Internet eXchange) is where Internet Service Providers (ISPs), content providers, et al. exchange Internet traffic in Belgium. Via the Internet exchange, users of subscribed providers are able to download and upload mails, clips and other Internet traffic faster and locally.
 

Internet traffic in Belgium pretty much doubles every year. To cope with further growth the new BNIX will be operational by April. The equipment was ordered in the past week and in January and February it will be installed and tested. In March, the 44 subscribed participants will migrate from the old to the new BNIX, without their customers noticing.

 

The 44 participants include all Internet providers (such as Belgacom and Telenet) as well as other companies such as VRT and Dexia. BELNET expects twice as many subscribers within three years.

 

BNIX comprises two enormous switches, each with a capacity of 3.5 terabit a second, almost five times as much as now. The switches connect the 44 BNIX customers with each other. One switch is in the Level3 data center in Evere and the other in the Interxion data center in Zaventem. Companies whose computer infrastructure is housed in the LCL data center in Diegem will be able to connect to the BNIX switches in Evere or Zaventem from Diegem by April 2010.

 

The switches will use 45 percent less power than currently and require 53 percent less cooling. Pierre Bruyère, director of BELNET, explains it as follows: "If a switch were a cargo plane, the new ones would be able to transport four times as much cargo, fly five times faster and be half more energy efficient than the current planes."

 

The new switches of American manufacturer Force10 are BNIX' fourth upgrade. It is the fifth generation since the exchange came into operation in 1995. Zycko Benelux BV will supply, install and maintain the switches. Zycko was selected over eight others following a European invitation to tender. The six evaluation criteria were the technical specifications, price, services and support, energy efficiency, delivery period and training. The contract between BELNET and Zycko amounts to almost EUR 500,000, including VAT as well as a four year maintenance contract.  

 

 

 

About BELNET - "The knowledge network"
BELNET is a federal government agency with a separate management within the Federal Research policy department. BELNET provides internet access with a very high bandwidth to Belgian educational institutes, research centres and government departments. More than 650,000 end-users use bandwidths of 10 gigabits a second; this is about 2,500 times faster than the normal broadband internet access available to most consumers. References include all Belgian universities and most non-university higher education institutions, the computer network of the federal government departments (FedMAN), all federal scientific bodies, the largest public research centres and various government administrations. BELNET provides high-quality, secure internet access via CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) and a direct connection with worldwide research networks, including the American Internet2 and the European Géant2. A pioneer of the internet, BELNET was founded in 1993 on the initiative of the Federal Research Policy. By offering advanced information and communication technologies, BELNET stimulates research, training and scientific co-operation.

 

For more information, please go to http://www.belnet.be

 

 

About BNIX
BNIX is where Internet Service Providers (ISPs), content providers, et. al. are able to exchange IP traffic in Belgium. BNIX has seriously improved the quality of local connections by providing higher-speed, shorter, congestion-free and cheaper connections between the different participants. BELNET has been responsible for the Belgian Internet exchange since 1995.

 

For more information, please go to http://www.bnix.net