The Internet is not only one of the most important infrastructures of our time, but also a community project. Tassilo Tanneberger, a graduate student in computer science, and Prof. Dr. Matthias Wählisch, head of the Distributed and Networked Systems professorship, are convinced of this. The two scientists from the Faculty of Computer Science at TU Dresden founded the DD-IX e.V. together with other Internet enthusiasts on October 5, 2023. DD-IX e.V. will operate the first public Internet Exchange Point in Dresden (https://dd-ix.net/). The goal is to make digitization in the Saxony region faster and more reliable, and thus also more ecological and economical.

Internet Exchange Points, or IXPs for short, are Internet exchange points that bring together local network operators. They enable short routes at low cost and thus faster and more robust transmission of Internet data. IXPs are part of the backbone of a modern digital society. Dresden has not yet had an IXP, although the region is a pioneer in the field of digitization throughout Europe with its semiconductor industry and the many activities surrounding the tactile Internet of Things. "For the exchange of data between the different Internet players in the region, detours often have to be taken 
be taken." says Prof. Matthias Wählisch. "Usually, different network operators - even with nationwide nodes - are used. This costs time and makes data exchange more vulnerable." For Dresden, the DD-IX aims to change that. Its practical commissioning is scheduled for later this year.