The Austrian state of Carinthia has embarked on a plan to develop into an interconnection hub for the Alps-Adriatic region with the introduction by DE-CIX of Alpsix, an interconnection hub attributed with strengthening digital infrastructure in the region based on an edge-container approach and offering direct connectivity to the global DE-CIX neutral internet exchange (IX) ecosystem.
The aim of the facility is to offer secure, fast and sovereign local connectivity to close what is perceived as an infrastructure gap. The IX is being established by BIK Breitbandinitiative Kärnten, owned by the Carinthian state, as a partner of DE-CIX, with the Carinthian state government investing around €5.7m to realise this project.
On a functional basis, the regional interconnection platform will look to enable more secure and faster dataflows, while at the same time providing connectivity to key international interconnection hubs. That is, Alpsix will look to take advantage of Carinthia’s geographical location – where major European data traffic routes converge – and connect the region with Central Europe, northern Italy, and southeastern Europe.
Connectivity to Bavaria in Germany will be undertaken to create strategic redundancy to Vienna, while networks from the Balkans will be able to exchange data directly in southern Austria for the first time. This positions Klagenfurt and Villach as the most important digital hub in the southern Alpine region. At sites in Klagenfurt and Villach, network operators will be able to exchange data traffic locally at Alpsix from the end of 2026, allowing data to remain in the region instead of being routed via Vienna or other hubs.
All of this, says DE-CIX, will allow companies, public authorities and research institutions to benefit from shorter data paths, lower latency and greater reliability. At the same time, Alpsix will look to strengthen a location that is regarded as among the leading innovation centres for microelectronics, artificial intelligence (AI), ICT, green tech and manufacturing.
Around 300,000 people and more than 15,000 companies in Klagenfurt and Villach are said to now be able benefit from a regional digital infrastructure that promotes sovereignty, innovation, investment and economic growth. Orders are now being taken to connect Austrian and international networks to Alpsix.
DE-CIX will be responsible for the technical operation of Alpsix and will integrate the region into its carrier- and datacentre-neutral interconnection ecosystem, which includes more than 60 locations worldwide.
In an untypical part of the programme, unlike traditional internet exchanges, the platform will not be housed in datacentres, but operated in compact edge containers, an approach intended to bring digital infrastructure closer to users and applications.
Assessing the need for the launch, DE-CIX CEO Ivo Ivanov noted that AI and new digital applications were fundamentally changing the requirements placed on networks.
“The success of AI applications is determined not only by computing power, but also by the speed at which data flows between users, businesses and datacentres,” he said. “That is why internet exchanges will increasingly be established closer to people and businesses. Alpsix makes exactly this possible: local data stays local and avoids a detour of more than 600km via Vienna. In doing so, we are creating ideal conditions for greater digital sovereignty, innovation, and sustainable economic growth in the region.”
Sebastian Schuschnig, member of the state government of Carinthia, added: “With Alpsix, we are creating Carinthia’s gateway to the international data highways and setting another milestone for the development of our business and industrial location. The launch of our own internet exchange strengthens Carinthia’s digital sovereignty, enhances the competitiveness of our companies, and makes Carinthia an even more attractive location for technology- and data-intensive businesses.
“Following the commissioning of the Koralm Railway, Alpsix is now the next project with international impact that will sustainably strengthen Carinthia’s position in the Alps-Adriatic region. The launch of Alpsix sends a strong signal that we consistently invest in the infrastructure that enables growth, innovation and high-quality jobs for the future.”
As it was making its launch in Austria, across the border in Germany, DE-CIX Frankfurt, said to be Europe’s largest internet exchange, transmitted more than 20 terabits per second (Tbps) for the first time as a result of millions of football fans across Europe watching UEFA Europa League and Europa Conference League competition matches on 17 September.
The data throughput, said to mark a new global milestone, was calculated to the equivalent to approximately 11 million TikTok videos being streamed simultaneously. Since the beginning of 2020, peak data traffic at DE-CIX Frankfurt has more than doubled – growth of about 140%.
“When millions of people stream soccer at the same time, enormous data streams are generated within a matter of moments,” said Ivanov. “The fact that we’re seeing two new thresholds on a single evening – 20 terabits per second in Frankfurt and 30 terabits per second across all locations –demonstrates the impressive scale that digital data traffic has now reached.
“Live sports make this development particularly visible. Behind it lies a long-term trend: streaming, the cloud, gaming, and AI are driving continuous growth in global data traffic and making high-performance, resilient digital infrastructure increasingly important.”
