DE-CIX internet exchange data traffic exceeds 38 exabytes in 2021
Global Internet exchange operator DE-CIX says it exchanged more than 38 exabytes (EB) of data in 2021. The number represents an increase of just under 19% compared to 2020’s 32 EB of data. As with the 2021 numbers reported by AMI-IX (see "18% jump in Internet traffic heralds return to normal for AMS-IX"), the amount of the increase suggests that usage patterns are normalizing over the course of the pandemic, with factors such as working from home becoming more like business as usual.
“Overall, global data traffic stabilized at a high level in 2021, after the outbreak of the pandemic and the record-breaking year in 2020, and continues to grow steadily,” said Christoph Dietzel, global head of products and research at DE-CIX. “This shows that concepts such as work-from-home with video conferencing, and home entertainment with video streaming and gaming, have become established in everyday life, and this growth will only continue.”
The data throughput of video conferences via the company’s internet exchange in Frankfurt was especially high in the first months of the year, up to the end of lockdown and contact restrictions. In the summer months, with lower infection rates and vacation time, however, it dropped by half. For video streaming via Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and others, the distribution was similar, but with smaller seasonal differences. The picture was different for gaming traffic: Here, the final months of the year saw new peaks.
DE-CIX in Frankfurt is one of the largest internet exchanges in the world, with over 29 EB of data traffic in 2021, a peak data throughput of nearly 11 Tbps, and over 1100 connected networks. DE-CIX currently operates a total of 32 internet exchanges worldwide, either alone or in various cooperation and partnership models.
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