Ceremonial opening of DD-IX, the first public internet exchange point in Dresden, attended by Prof. Thomas Popp, State Secretary for Digital Administration and Administration Modernization, 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 association

On November 25, the DD-IX was officially opened at the SachsenEnergieCenter. Dresden takes a pioneering role in Europe in the field of digitalization thanks to its semiconductor industry and its various activities focusing on the tactile Internet of Things. With the DD-IX opening, it now has its own 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. At the opening, he commented: "The DD-IX is already a great 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. Connecting to the DD-IX has reduced delays between two local networks from 12 ms to 0.7 ms."

Data packets have significantly shorter distances to travel when transferred through the DD-IX, which shortens transmission time. Users benefit from faster loading times for websites, and a smoother performance for streaming and video calls. Moreover, they profit from improved natural communication in online meetings and more efficient responses from cloud services. The reduction in response time is a significant advance for all online data transfers.

Data transfer in Dresden is now set to become faster, more secure and more cost-effective. To this end, the founders of the DD-IX Dresden Internet Exchange association – consisting of network operators, students and scientists from TU Dresden – have quickly brought the region's first public internet exchange point to life: the DD-IX. SachsenGigaBit, a subsidiary of SachsenEnergie, is joining the project as a new supporting member and providing the data center for the node.

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

State Secretary Prof. Thomas Popp said: "The DD-IX is creating a new dynamic in Silicon Saxony. From now on, data can be transferred locally and thus faster and more efficiently here without having to go via Berlin, Hamburg or Frankfurt. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the enthusiastic stakeholders in DD-IX. They show how crucial cooperation is in the digital ecosystem. They strengthen the infrastructure, resilience and ultimately the local digital sovereignty. Cutting-edge data transmission technologies with low latencies continue to enhance the region's excellent conditions as a business location."

US computer scientist and internet pioneer Vint Cerf added: "DD-IX is part of a global community that brings the internet wherever it is needed. Many countries have inadequate internet coverage. And it is not easy to overcome this issue. Community-driven initiatives such as DD-IX are extremely important for a successful internet. They show that the internet continues to be a system that goes beyond commercial companies. 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, bring together local network operators. 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 rules. Data that was previously often routed through globally dispersed network nodes now remains local. As such, IXPs are the backbone of a modern digital society.

Contact:
Prof. Matthias Wählisch
Tel.: +49 351 463-38261
Email:
Website: DD-IX: https://dd-ix.net/