DE-CIX, the world’s leading Internet Exchange (IX) operator, is expanding its vision of interconnection beyond terrestrial boundaries. Through its Space-IX initiative, DE-CIX is preparing for this future and already considering what the first orbital IX might look like.
Just as the company connects over 4,000 networks across more than 60 IX locations on Earth, Space-IX aims to extend that capability to low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations and other space-based assets – enabling them to interconnect with each other and with terrestrial digital ecosystems.
“Wherever networks are created, interconnection should follow,” says Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX. “We’ve spent 30 years building the backbone of the Internet here on Earth. Now we’re bringing that same neutral, high-performance interconnection model to the next layer of digital infrastructure, above the clouds and to the stars.”
A growing number of tech visionaries, including British astronaut Tim Peake, are sharing ideas that once sounded like science fiction, such as placing data centers in low-Earth orbit. While that reality may be years away, the work to optimize space-based communications has already begun.
As part of the European Space Agency’s OFELIAS project, DE-CIX is collaborating with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to research how laser-based communications can improve satellite connectivity. These optical satellite links promise higher speeds than traditional radio systems, but require smarter protocols and algorithms to overcome real-world challenges such as cloud cover and atmospheric interference. While OFELIAS is focused on optimizing data flow between satellites and ground stations, DE-CIX’s broader Space-IX initiative is exploring how space-based infrastructure can be interconnected at scale, laying the groundwork for the world’s first Internet Exchange in orbit.