Doha: Ooredoo and DE-CIX have announced a new development in global connectivity, revealing that Doha IX, Qatar's first commercial Internet Exchange, is now directly connected to the DE-CIX Marseille platform. This connection aims to accelerate the development of data exchange capabilities.
According to Qatar News Agency, this new link allows connected networks to exchange data with approximately 120 networks in Marseille and provides remote access to nearly 1,100 networks through DE-CIX Frankfurt, the largest Internet Exchange in Europe. The interconnection between Middle Eastern and European platforms significantly enhances access for Gulf telecom operators to cloud and connectivity services that were not previously available locally in Qatar.
Since its launch in October, Doha IX has been operating under the DE-CIX as-a-service (DaaS) model and is hosted in Ooredoo's data centers. This setup allows networks to connect locally or through Marseille with global and regional cloud providers, content networks, and ISPs, ensuring secure and seamless data exchange.
With DE-CIX DirectCLOUD available via Doha IX, users now have the ability to privately access major cloud providers such as AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Oracle, IBM Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud. Organizations can also utilize the DE-CIX Cloud ROUTER to enable cost-efficient, low-latency data exchange across multi-cloud environments, improving connectivity between different service providers.
"The direct interconnection between the IXs in Doha and Marseille brings the world closer together," stated Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX. "By providing even better performance and user experience for Internet-based content and applications, our collaboration with Ooredoo opens up new opportunities for Qatar's digital economy. Enhanced connectivity will further strengthen the digital ecosystem in the GCC, supporting economic growth and innovation, while paving the way for the amazing digital decades ahead of us."
"The direct interconnection between Doha IX and DE-CIX Marseille represents a strategic expansion of Qatar's global digital reach," commented Hassan Ismail Al Emadi, Chief Business Officer at Ooredoo Qatar. "By linking our national interconnection platform with one of Europe's leading Internet Exchange ecosystems, we are enabling differentiated digital performance through lower latency, enhanced resilience, and secure, seamless access to global cloud and content networks. This collaboration reinforces Qatar's position as a regional digital gateway and enables enterprises to operate with greater performance, reach, and competitiveness, accelerating digital transformation across Qatar and the wider GCC."
Doha IX functions as a neutral interconnection hub for network operators, offering high-performance, low-latency local connectivity and seamless integration with the global DE-CIX ecosystem. It already provides advanced services such as Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS), which allows businesses and government entities in Qatar to access SaaS applications like MS Teams and Outlook through direct, private connections.
The platform also includes a variety of integrated services within Ooredoo's portfolio, such as IP Transit, Multi-Cloud Connect, Google VPP, hosting and co-location, enterprise internet, precise timing, and international connectivity services.