Biglobe selects DE-CIX for faster Japan, Europe connectivity

Japanese internet service provider (ISP) Biglobe is now connected to DE-CIX Frankfurt.

Established in 2006 and based in Tokyo, Biglobe is one of the largest ISPs in Japan, offering a variety of networking services, content and applications.

It its mission statement, the company says that as the information society continues to evolve and become central to people’s lives, what people will want from the internet in the future will not just be a means to connect with others at any time, but also “more diverse, accurate and secure information and a place to go”.

The firms adds that it has “the responsibility of being a network that supports infrastructure, the flexibility to anticipate changes in the times, and the proven technology we have cultivated over many years”.

Founded in 1995, DE-CIX offers interconnection services in 60 locations in Europe, Africa, North and South America, the Middle East, and Asia. Accessible from datacentres in over 600 cities worldwide, it connects network operators (carriers), internet service providers (ISPs), content providers and enterprise networks from more than 100 countries, and offers peering, cloud and other interconnection services.

The peering connection is part of Biglobe’s international expansion strategy. Using DE-CIX’s GlobePeer Remote, the connectivity link has been established via Biglobe’s Tokyo access point.

With nearly 1,100 connected networks and an annual data volume of around 45 exabytes as of 2024, DE-CIX is one of the largest internet exchanges in the world. GlobePeer Remote allows customers at one DE-CIX location to access other internet exchanges in the global DE-CIX ecosystem – including Singapore, New York, Madrid, Dubai and Frankfurt – without needing additional on-site infrastructure.

The direct connection to the internet exchange is said to enhance latency and network performance for Biglobe’s customers – especially for data exchange with European eyeball networks. Biglobe is using the remote peering service to optimise its intercontinental data flows, and the Tier 2 ISP connects through its existing access point in Tokyo.

“By directly connecting to European eyeball and content networks, we shorten data paths and improve service quality – especially for streaming and cloud-based applications,” said Yuichi Minami, executive officer at Biglobe. “At the same time, we reduce costs and boost the resilience of our network.”

Frank P Orlowski, executive vice-president of corporate development at DE-CIX, said: “Remote peering enables ISPs across the globe to connect to DE-CIX internet exchanges independent of their physical location. This allows for more efficient control of data flows, reduced latency and significantly improved network stability.”

The Biglobe deal comes after DE-CIX announced what it called a first for Brazil: the opening of its first datacentre and carrier neutral internet exchanges at São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, designed to enable both local and domestic peering while opening access to DE-CIX’s global IX ecosystem, which the company said is the largest interconnection system of its kind.

The exchanges are designed to fill a gap in the Brazilian market, with their range of service-level agreement-backed enterprise-grade interconnection offerings, as well as increasing redundancy and resiliency options for Brazilian network operators.

Both centres will be run by DE-CIX Brazil and integrated into the operator’s global internet exchange ecosystem, including the one in Frankfurt.