The London Internet Exchange (LINX), a not-for-profit organisation working for the good of the Internet, has hit a new record maximum traffic peak of 725Gbps at its Manchester network fabric, highlighting the importance of regionalising network traffic.
LINX Manchester has seen consistent growth in traffic, rising by an average of 100-200Gbps throughout 2024.
Manchester prides itself on robust digital infrastructure with some of the fastest internet speeds in the UK, supported by extensive fibre-optic networks. Key initiatives such as the £23.8 million full-fibre investment have been pivotal to enhancing Manchester’s digital connectivity enabling businesses to leverage data and technology to improve efficiency and services.
To further enhance Manchester’s strong internet connectivity, LINX’s new location on its Manchester network went live in September last year at the Lunar Digital Data Centre, providing peering and further interconnection services to deliver improved performance, increased redundancy and lower network latency by keeping traffic local to the Manchester area.
Colin Peckham, LINX Interconnection Specialist, commented: “Manchester is a thriving hub of business and technology, at the forefront of innovation and economic growth, so it’s vital that the area has fast, resilient network infrastructure. Working with our data centre partners in the area, we’re able to quickly deploy advanced peering and cross-connect services to strengthen connectivity in the region and best support the people and businesses driving forward growth. Keeping traffic local keeps latency low and bolsters network security to ensure that internet access remains strong and operational for longer.”
Manchester acts as a landmark tech hub for the UK off the back of significant investment in infrastructure, technology and education. The area is home to MediaCityUK, home to major organisations such as the BBC, ITV and Ericsson, innovation district The Oxford Road Corridor, and the recipient of major infrastructure funding under the Northern Powerhouse Initiative.
Datum is another of the data centre partners on the LINX Manchester network and its MCR2 data centre in South Manchester is due to go live by the end of Q1 2025.
Seb Graham, Group Sales Director for Datum, commented: “We are thrilled to see Manchester continually growing its traffic year on year with LINX. Partnering with LINX has been a massive benefit and allows Datum to provide a diverse, carrier neutral offering to our growing client base from a very connectivity rich Datacentre. The team at LINX have been brilliant to work with from day one and continue to develop a tight knit, supportive community. We look forward to working more closely with LINX delivering further solutions from our newly built MCR2 site. Manchester is very much open for business!”
The city has ambitious plans to further its position as a leading tech hub, with the Manchester Digital Campus set to open in 2026, and the development of a new innovation district called ID Manchester, which aims to create 10,000 jobs and attract global tech firms.
Click here to find out more about LINX Manchester, the services available and how you can connect.