DE-CIX has launched the world’s first fully integrated AI Internet Exchange (AI-IX), enabling seamless interconnection between AI agents, networks, and real-world applications. Phase 1 of the rollout is complete, with more than 50 AI-relevant networks connected, including providers of AI Inference as a Service, GPU as a Service, and major cloud platforms. The service is available across all 60 DE-CIX locations worldwide, offering enterprises low-latency, secure interconnection for real-time AI use cases such as robotics, autonomous driving, and multimodal agents.
Phase 2 will bring Ultra Ethernet capabilities to the DE-CIX AI-IX, enabling geographically distributed AI training. This approach contrasts with today’s reliance on centralized data centers, allowing companies to design resilient and cost-effective private AI infrastructure. DE-CIX’s current hardware already supports the enhanced Ethernet standard, which aims to offer a more economical alternative to InfiniBand for large-scale AI workloads. Once network hardware vendors release the updated Ultra Ethernet software, DE-CIX will activate support globally.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, DE-CIX operates Internet Exchanges in more than 600 cities across six continents, interconnecting over 4,000 networks. The Frankfurt IX remains one of the largest globally, handling nearly 45 exabytes of traffic annually. With AI-IX, DE-CIX positions itself at the intersection of AI, next-gen connectivity, and distributed computing, creating a dedicated platform for both inference and training.
• AI-IX Phase 1 connects 50+ AI networks, including inference and GPU providers
• Proprietary multi-AI routing technology supports global deployment
• Phase 2 will enable Ultra Ethernet-based, distributed AI training
• Ultra Ethernet seen as a cost-effective alternative to InfiniBand for AI networking
• DE-CIX marks 30 years with operations spanning 60 global IX locations
“With various predictions made for millions – even hundreds of millions – of AI agents in the coming years, the need for interconnection services to support their operations is growing massively,” said Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX.
🌐 Analysis: DE-CIX’s move signals the convergence of AI networking and advanced interconnection. By adopting Ultra Ethernet, DE-CIX is aligning with industry efforts to disaggregate AI training from hyperscale data centers, an approach also being explored by the Ultra Ethernet Consortium and major hyperscalers. If successful, this positions Ethernet as a direct competitor to InfiniBand in large-scale AI clusters, with global IX operators like DE-CIX extending beyond peering into AI infrastructure enablement.
