DE-CIX has expanded further into Southeast Asia. The internet exchange (IX) operator has formed a joint venture with Thai telecom provider International Gateway Company (IGC). The venture, DE-CIX Thailand, will launch DE-CIX Bangkok. It will be the first internet exchange in Thailand directly interconnected with exchanges across the region.
DE-CIX will build and operate the regional internet exchange point. It will extend DE-CIX’s distributed ASEAN interconnection platform and act as the gateway to Mainland Southeast Asia. Networks in Bangkok will be able to peer with networks in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and beyond over one regional platform.
Why Mainland Southeast Asia Matters
The partners point out that Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand make up about 50% of users across ASEAN. The Bangkok exchange will be DE-CIX’s seventh metropolitan market in Southeast Asia. It gives networks in Thailand easy access to one of the region’s largest interconnected digital ecosystems.
DE-CIX Bangkok will be available in well-known data centres across the local metropolitan market. IGC will provide connectivity to the exchange and act as a reseller for customers across Mainland Southeast Asia. The exchange will also join DE-CIX’s global backbone. Connected networks will gain access to the whole DE-CIX ecosystem. That ecosystem includes more than 4,600 networks across North and South America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The Partners
DE-CIX was founded in 1995. It offers interconnection services in 60 locations across EMEA, North and South America, and Asia. Customers can reach it from data centres in more than 600 cities worldwide. It connects network operators, internet service providers, content providers and enterprise networks from more than 100 countries. Its services include peering, cloud and other interconnection.
The company has been in a strong growth phase over the past two months. It expanded global AI-ready connectivity with a Microsoft Azure route. It introduced an open source Model Context Protocol server that lets customers use AI agents to manage network connections. It also launched a neutral internet exchange in southern Austria, aimed at turning the state of Carinthia into a digital hub for the Alps-Adriatic region.
IGC was established in 2017. It provides wholesale bandwidth, IP transit and customised IPLC networks for domestic and international traffic. It does this through State Railway of Thailand, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand and its own nationwide network. That network includes more than 12,000 km of optical fibre.
IGC also owns Network to Network Interfaces at 12 active border crossings. They connect it with 42 operators in neighbouring countries and Thailand. It also has links to more than 10 principal data centres in Thailand.
What the Leaders Say
DE-CIX CEO Ivo Ivanov called Thailand the next logical step in the company’s Southeast Asian growth strategy. He said the country has what it takes to become the gateway to Mainland Southeast Asia and one of the region’s leading connectivity hubs. Working with IGC, DE-CIX is building an environment where Thai networks can interconnect locally and also reach one of the region’s richest digital ecosystems. Customers will gain lower latency, greater resilience and direct access to cloud, AI, content and network providers across the DE-CIX platform.
Supat Eamwiwat, CEO of IGC, said DE-CIX Bangkok will let customers exchange traffic locally and regionally. It will cut latency, improve network performance and give access to one of Southeast Asia’s most interconnected ecosystems. He said IGC is excited to partner with DE-CIX to support the next phase of Thailand’s digital growth.
