DE-CIX (the Deutsche Commercial Internet Exchange) in Frankfurt set a new world record for data throughput on Tuesday evening this week, driven by increased internet usage related to the Coronavirus outbreak.
It was in December 2019 that DE-CIX in Frankfurt hit the 8 Terabits-per-second mark, and it has now increased its data throughput by more than 12% in just a couple of months.
Nine Terabits per second corresponds to the simultaneous transmission of up to two million videos in HD quality or a data volume of more than two billion A4 pages of text (a stack of paper close to 200 kilometres high).
“This record confirms that DE-CIX in Frankfurt, and with it the metropolitan region FrankfurtRheinMain, is one of the most important data hubs in the world,” said Dr. Thomas King, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of DE-CIX.
“Added to this is the fact that as a result of the season, as well as the exceptional situation that people are currently experiencing with the COVID-19 virus, Internet use is playing an ever-greater role.
“Whether it’s for exchanging information, streaming films, or playing online games. Guaranteeing a stable and secure Internet infrastructure – regardless of how challenging the times are – is one of our highest priorities.”
Around the world, companies have begun asking employees to work from home and schools have closed temporarily as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus.
In general, the data traffic at Internet Exchanges moves in waves and reflects the daily rhythm of Internet usage, beginning at 6am and reaching its peak at around 9pm, according to the company.
Launched in 1995, DE-CIX manages over 20 Internet Exchanges globally in Europe, India, the Middle East, Asia, and the USA.
