NEWS
IRAQ-IXP now third largest Internet Exchange in Middle East
DE-CIX, the world’ s Internet Exchange,
IX operator, and IRAQ-IXP, the first and unique neutral Internet Exchange that serves all Iraqi regions, celebrate this month, with new milestones, the first anniversary of IRAQ-IXP powered by DE-CIX. In just a year since IRAQ-IXP powered by DE-CIX started operations, the IX has climbed the rankings to become the 3rd largest in the Middle East in terms of connected networks.
Ivo Ivanov
IRAQ-IXP powered by DE-CIX now has 28 networks connected and connecting, including global players such as Meta, Akamai, and Tencent. Peak traffic on the exchange has grown to almost 180 Gigabits per second, up 150 % since the beginning of January 2025.
The interconnection platform is hosted in the data centre Iraq Connectivity Gateway, ICG in Baghdad and operated by DE-CIX under the DE-CIX as a Service, DaaS model. IRAQ- IXP powered by DE-CIX is built on DE-CIX’ s award-winning interconnection infrastructure, offering peering and enterprise-grade interconnection services.
The interconnection platform serves as a hub for regional connectivity, enabling local networks low-latency interconnection and the localisation of global content, while increasing network stability, scalability, and security.
“ We are delighted by the strong growth of IRAQ-IXP powered by DE-CIX in its first year of operations. Increasing numbers of national and international network operators want to offer services in Iraq as part of the vibrant local digital ecosystem growing around the exchange,” comments Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX.
“ IRAQ-IXP powered by DE-CIX, already the third largest in the Middle East and growing rapidly, serves the great demand in Iraq for increasing the speed, quality, and stability of Internet connectivity to guarantee the best experience possible for end users and businesses.”
“ From the beginning, our vision was clear, to position Iraq as a digital hub for the region,” says Ahmed Rakwi, CEO of IRAQ-IXP.
Nokia and TAWAL enable multi-tenant Open RAN on Dell PowerEdge XR8000 servers
Nokia and Saudi neutral-host provider TAWAL have completed the world’ s first live demonstration of a multi-tenant, shareable Open RAN edge-cloud platform, allowing mobile operators and large enterprises to launch high-performance 5G services at significantly lower costs than previous possible. During the live demonstration in Riyadh, Nokia 5G AirScale Indoor Radios were connected to Dell PowerEdge XR8000 servers hosting virtualised CU, DU software in Nokia’ s anyRAN framework.
The open, cloud native platform supports multi operator RAN sharing and can host third party RAN software, giving TAWAL full vendor flexibility while maintaining carrier grade performance. The solution’ s compact footprint and reduced power draw make it ideal for smart city edge nodes and enterprise campuses.
The showcase proves how TAWAL can offer active infrastructure as a service while operators enjoy significant savings and futureproof their networks with open, cloud native flexibility. Nokia’ s anyRAN architecture uniquely delivers the trusted performance required to run anyRAN workloads on an open edge cloud.
Abdulrahman Al Moaiqel, Chief Commercial Officer at TAWAL, said:“ Neutral hosts must add value beyond steel and concrete. By partnering with Nokia, we can offer Saudi operators an on demand, pay as you grow 5G platform that cuts their TCO and accelerates digital transformation for Saudi Arabia’ s giga projects.”
Mikko Lavanti, Senior Vice President, Middle East and Africa at Nokia, said:“ Moving from a tower company model to a fully-fledged network company demands technology that combines openness with proven performance. Our anyRAN approach lets TAWAL mix and match vendors at the cloud layer while still guaranteeing the ultrareliable, low latency experience operators and end users expect.”
Across Saudi Arabia, demand for widespread 5G connectivity is soaring as smart city giga projects gather pace. Yet traditional single operator rollouts risk duplicating infrastructure, driving up capex and delaying service availability.
14 INTELLIGENTCIO MIDDLE EAST www. intelligentcio. com