Milestone for Belgian internet: national internet exchange point BNIX celebrates 30th anniversary (and reflects on its pioneering role)

1995: the internet is still in its infancy and in a very rudimentary form. But countries like Belgium are starting to recognise the need for structure and coordination. That same year, Belnet, the Belgian Research & Education Network, launches BNIX. The platform enables seamless exchange of internet traffic within Belgium for all stakeholders, including end users. “It’s hard to imagine now, but in the early days of the internet, nearly all data traffic between Belgian providers and customers – even when located in the same city – was routed through the United States,” recalls Dirk Haex, Managing Director at Belnet. “Major industry players, such as the Belgian Internet Service Providers, were eager to reduce those costs and inefficiencies. They decided on Belnet as the ideal partner, thanks to our expertise and neutrality.” 

30 years of stability 

Over the past three decades, BNIX has brought efficiency, speed, capacity, security, and stability to the Belgian internet. Today, the platform is a vital component in delivering a smooth online experience to Belgian consumers. It acts as a central hub where major Belgian telecom operators, international content providers (including streaming and social media platforms), and cloud infrastructure providers exchange internet traffic. 

To maintain its role, Belnet has continuously scaled and upgraded BNIX – most recently with the launch of a brand new platform. “We’ve always anticipated future challenges, such as the surge in internet traffic – even the unexpected 40% increase during the COVID period was handled seamlessly by BNIX,” says Dirk. “I’m incredibly proud of the stability and professional service our dedicated BNIX team has delivered for 30 years. That remains our core mission going forward, especially as AI workloads and streaming are likely to further increase traffic. As a crucial link in the digital economy, BNIX strengthens the reliability of Belgium’s critical infrastructure. In doing so, it contributes to a more resilient and independent internet for all – especially in today’s volatile geopolitical climate.” 

A true internet pioneer 

Belnet and BNIX have played a pioneering role in shaping the Belgian internet. BNIX was not only one of the first national internet exchanges in Europe, but also a driving force behind the creation of Euro-IX (which promotes international knowledge-sharing among internet exchange points) and ISPA (the Belgian Internet Service Providers Association). BNIX remains actively involved in Euro-IX and recently assumed a vice-chair position on its board of directors. 

Vanessa Matz, Minister for Government Modernisation: “A robust structure can only exist on a solid foundation. For thirty years, BNIX has been the foundation on which the internet in Belgium is built. It is critical infrastructure that makes our internet resilient in unstable geopolitical times. Recent investments have also made the Belgian internet more sustainable. The fact that we have ultra-fast internet today to connect us to the rest of the world, is partly thanks to BNIX. It’s an invisible but crucial link that connects citizens and businesses in our country to the worldwide web.” 

Henri-Jean Pollet, Chair of ISPA Belgium: “Representing the Belgian internet sector, ISPA has always seen BNIX as a pillar of our digital infrastructure for 30 years. The platform enables both internet providers and international players, such as cloud and content services, to exchange traffic locally and efficiently. This results in better performance, lower costs, and a stronger competitive position for Belgium. ISPA Belgium values its long-standing collaboration with BNIX and looks forward to further strengthening this successful partnership in the future.”