Exchange points play a vital role in providing dedicated infrastructure in key geographic areas where numerous research and education (R&E) networks interconnect. Throughout the U.S., multiple exchange points enable interconnectivity between Internet2 and international R&E networks via dedicated links from abroad. 

Internet2-Operated Exchange Points

Internet2 operates three U.S.-based global exchange points: Boston Exchange Point (BIX), Manhattan Landing (MAN LAN), and Washington International Exchange (WIX). Features include: 

• Layer 2 Ethernet connections
• 100 Gbps, 400 Gbps 
• Etherchannel bonding 
• 24 x 7 x 365 Operations Support 
• Remote hands 
• Internet2 Insight Console Looking Glass for visibility and running supported commands

For more information about how to obtain a connection to an Internet2-operated exchange point, contact networkdevelopment@internet2.edu.

Boston Exchange Point (BIX)

BIX is a 400 gigabits per second (Gbps) high-performance exchange point at 1 Summer St, Boston, MA. Commissioned in 2024 to serve the first general purpose R&E 400 Gbps links in the Atlantic region, it is colocated with a number of Internet2’s member networks and universities within the Markley carrier hotel. 

Manhattan Landing (MAN LAN)

MAN LAN is a 400 Gbps high-performance exchange point at 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY. The exchange point is a collaborative effort of:

• Internet2 – providing program management and operational oversight
• NYSERNet (The New York State Education and Research Network) – providing Manhattan collocation facilities and metropolitan fiber resources

Washington International Exchange (WIX)

WIX is a 400 Gbps high-performance exchange point atin 1755 Old Meadow Road, McLean, VA. The exchange point is a collaborative effort of:

• Internet2 – providing program management and operational oversight
• Mid-Atlantic Crossroad (MAX) – providing engineering and logistical support

Today, WIX provides an open network exchange facility for a rich community of international and domestic research and education networks. By providing this critical connection point to the U.S. and abroad, WIX enables researchers to partner and collaborate with their peers around the world.

Internet2 Member-Operated Global Exchange Points

The following are U.S.-based international exchange points operated by Internet2 community member organizations:

AMPATH is an international exchange point in Miami, Florida, that facilitates interconnections between the United States, Latin American and Caribbean research and education networks.  AMPATH aims to facilitate participation to under-represented groups in Latin America and the Caribbean in U.S. science and engineering research and education activities through the use of high-performance network connections.

AtlanticWave is an international peering fabric interconnecting the United States, Canada, Europe and South America. With distributed IP peering points in New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Miami, and Sao Paulo, AtlanticWave connects the key exchange points on the U.S. East Coast – MAN LAN, NGIX-East, SoX, and AMPATH.

Pacific Wave is a joint project between the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC) and the Pacific Northwest Gigapop (PNWGP), and is operated in collaboration with the University of Southern California and the University of Washington. Pacific Wave provides a peering fabric available at three U.S. Pacific coast locations:

1. Bay Area (Sunnyvale and Palo Alto)
2. Los Angeles
3. Seattle

StarLight is a 100 Gbps and 400 Gbps switch/router facility for high-performance access to participating networks and a true optical switching facility for wavelengths. StarLight is operated by Northwestern University at a downtown campus location in Chicago, Illinois.

North American Collaborators

CANARIE connects Canada to the world through MOXY in Montréal, Canada’s first global exchange point for research and education and a 10GE and 100GE international gateway for Canadian researchers and students. Together with its 13 provincial and territorial partners, CANARIE also forms Canada’s National Research and Education Network (NREN). This ultra-high-speed network connects Canada’s researchers, educators, and innovators and to global data, technology, and colleagues.

Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) operates a high-performance network built to support and facilitate big-data scientific research across America and worldwide. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science and managed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, ESnet connects the DOE national laboratories, supercomputing facilities, and major scientific instruments, as well as additional research and commercial networks, to enable global collaboration on the world’s biggest scientific challenges.

Indiana University International Networks (IN@IU) delivers network connectivity that fosters the scientific collaboration that drives research and education in every corner of the world. From niche projects to large-scale research efforts, IN@IU uses high-performance networking as a tool to advance scientific diplomacy.

North America – Research Education Exchange (NA-REX) is a collaboration among seven advanced research and education networks and exchange point consortia to provide a high-performance experimental network service connecting global exchange points in North America. The collaboration supports global science research and scholarship through coordinated infrastructure, service integration, and collaborative outreach.