The deal will see privately-owned carrier Epsilon offer on-demand access to BBIX’s (SoftBank's internet exchange arm) internet exchange service in Tokyo through its Infiny platform – an on-demand service that allows users to order, activate and manage local, regional and global connectivity and communication services through a portal.
ITU figures show that Japan is a major hotspot for Internet traffic with almost 119,000,000 Internet users and a penetration level of 93%. The agreement means Epsilon’s partners can remotely peer at critical subsea cable landings serving East Asia and the West Coast of the US.
“We have a tremendous relationship with SoftBank and we are extremely pleased to be working with BBIX. Its depth and density of Exchange Points across Japan make it a highly valued partner and an important addition to our Global Interconnect Fabric,” said Jerzy Szlosarek, CEO of Epsilon.
“We are adding new IXs to the Infiny platform every month and giving our partners seamless and on-demand access to the world’s IXs. It is great to grow our reach in Japan with BBIX.”
Epsilon’s Global Interconnect Fabric includes more than 600 service providers and cloud service providers (CSPs) and IXs. Epsilon partners can use Infiny to remotely peer at IXs globally from a single platform.
Earlier this year, Epsilon extended its existing partnership with UAE’s du, offering expanded end-to-end connectivity between the Middle-East and data centres in the US, Europe, and Asia. It also inked a deal with African carrier WIOCC, extending the reach of the Infiny platform into sub-Saharan Africa for the first time.
This latest deal with SoftBank’s BBIX means Epsilon partners can remotely connect to peering points in Japan, adding a new global IPX’s to its platform. BBIX, meanwhile, will gain access to a growing ecosystem of new peering partners.
BBIX runs eight points of presence in Japan, and also offers internet exchange services in Hong Kong and Singapore. It provides direct peering for ISPs, CSPs, data centre operators, content providers, and the global carrier community.
It has a presence across several locations including SoftBank’s Maruyama Cable Landing Station, which lands several cables including the Japan-US CN, Australia Japan Cable, Trans-Pacific Express, Asia Pacific Gateway, Asia Submarine-cable Express, and New Cross Pacific.
“We are excited to partner with Epsilon and grow our peering ecosystem. Bringing new partners to our Exchanges will benefit our members and offer them increased choice when peering,” said Michikazu Fukuchi, EVP, board director and COO of BBIX, Inc.
“Epsilon’s partners gain access to critical communications hubs for the Asia-Pacific region as well as content rich local markets. At BBIX, we look forward to supporting Epsilon and creating a successful long-term partnership.”
