Ceremonial opening of DD-IX, the first public Internet Exchange in Dresden

On November 25, 2024, the ceremonial opening of the DD-IX took place with the participation of State Secretary for Digital Administration and Administrative Modernization Prof. Thomas Popp as well as Vint Cerf, one of the fathers of the Internet, and Prof. Matthias Wählisch from TU Dresden, co-founder of the DD-IX Dresden Internet Exchange e.V.

The DD-IX was officially opened in the SachsenEnergieCenter on November 25. This gives Dresden, which plays a pioneering role in the field of digitalization throughout Europe with its semiconductor industry and the diverse activities surrounding the tactile Internet of Things, its own public Internet exchange point.

Prof. Matthias Wählisch, Chair of Distributed and Networked Systems at TU Dresden, is part of the association's core team and advises on strategic decisions. He commented on the opening: "The DD-IX is already a success. Local providers that are important for the region, such as DSI NET, IBH and SachsenGigaBit, are already exchanging Internet data at the DD-IX. The connection to the DD-IX has reduced delays between two local networks from 12 ms to 0.7 ms."

Thanks to the DD-IX, data packets have significantly shorter distances to cover during transfer, which shortens the transmission time. For users, this means, for example, faster loading times for websites, smoother performance for streaming and video calls. It also enables more natural communication in online meetings or a more efficient response from cloud services. The reduction in response time is a significant step forward for all online data transfers.

Data transmission in Dresden is set to become faster, more secure and more cost-effective with immediate effect. To this end, the founders of the DD-IX Dresden Internet Exchange e.V. - consisting of network operators, students and scientists from TU Dresden - have brought the first public Internet exchange point for the region to life in a very short space of time: the DD-IX. SachsenGigaBit, a subsidiary of SachsenEnergie, joins the project as a new supporting member and provides the data center for the node.

Prof. Thomas Popp, State Secretary for Digital Administration and Administrative Modernization, and Vint Cerf, one of the fathers of the Internet and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google, underlined the importance of the project in their welcoming speeches.

State Secretary Prof. Thomas Popp said: "The DD-IX triggers new dynamics in Silicon Saxony. Data can now be transferred locally and therefore faster and more efficiently without having to travel via Berlin, Hamburg or Frankfurt. I would like to sincerely thank the energetic stakeholders in DD-IX e. V.. They show how important cooperation is in the digital ecosystem. They strengthen the infrastructure, resilience and ultimately digital sovereignty here locally. State-of-the-art technologies for data transmission with short latencies further improve the region's excellent location conditions."

US computer scientist and Internet pioneer Vint Cerf added: "The DD-IX is part of a global community that is bringing the Internet to wherever it is needed. Many countries have inadequate Internet coverage. Overcoming this is not easy. The community-driven work that the DD-IX does is hugely important for a successful Internet. They show that the Internet is still a system that goes beyond commercial companies. The DD-IX is a representative of the grassroots communities that are so important for the Internet. Congratulations!"

Background "Internet Exchange Points":
Internet Exchange Points, or IXPs for short, are Internet exchange points that bring local network operators together. They not only enable fast, low-delay and low-failure data transfer via the Internet, but also increase security in accordance with European data protection regulations. This is because data that was previously often forwarded via globally dispersed network nodes now remains local. IXPs are therefore part of the backbone of a modern digital society.

Media Inquiry:
Prof. Matthias Wählisch
Phone: +49 351 463-38261
E-mail: 
Web: DD-IX: https://dd-ix.net