The Internet is an ecosystem of networks. These networks, both large and small, are all interconnected and pass traffic to each other. One mechanism of interconnection for these networks are exchange points, such as the Seattle Internet Exchange, which intermediate between content providers such as Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Akamai and content subscribers such as ISPs, schools, hospitals, and governmental institutions. Interconnecting across an exchange benefits both parties as neither needs to pay an intermediate backbone provider when sending traffic to one another.
Entities in Northwestern Washington wishing to reach a primary Internet nexus, such as the SIX are required to purchase a long haul (expensive) connection to the destination; this is a serious impediment to growth. Given the high pricing associated with long haul lit fiber transport, many reservations, businesses, schools, and governmental entities, do without and so suffer from low speed access to the Internet and associated resources. The Internet Exchange of North West Washington (IX-NWWA) is the first step in our vision of creating a non-profit, fully transparent (engineering, financials, decision making) backbone in the time honored rural co-op model.
The IX-NWWA allows any interested party in the environs of NW WA such as Schools, Businesses, Hospitals, Governmental Institutions, Native American Tribes, and others, to connect directly to the rich content (Microsoft, Google, Akamai, Youtube, University of Washington) and high bandwidth Internet connectivity available in Seattle.
The IX-NWWA is directly connected via gigabit ethernet to the SIX in Seattle. Any peer that connects to the IX-NWWA pays their pro-rata share of the IX-NWWA operating costs. It is important to note that this cost is significantly lower than the cost associated with obtaining one’s own connection to Seattle.
