ALPSiX goes live – operated by Anexia

Two containers, two locations, one shared digital interconnection hub: At the "Digital Future Summit" in the Lakeside Science & Technology Park in Klagenfurt, ALPSiX, powered by DE-CIX and operated by Anexia, officially launched on September 18 – Carinthia's first independent internet exchange. Network operators will now exchange their traffic directly on site, with no detours via Vienna or Frankfurt. Shorter paths benefit sectors such as industry, healthcare, education and research, as well as traffic safety and smart mobility.

Day-to-day operation of the two container data centers in Klagenfurt and Villach rests with Anexia Cloud Solutions. The cloud technology specialist within the Anexia Group monitors the container infrastructure and management systems, among other things, and conducts regular on-site inspections. When issues arise, Anexia provides first-line technical response, from restarting individual devices and firmware resets to replacing components. If one of the two containers goes down, technicians are on site within a very short time.

For Alexander Windbichler, CEO of the Anexia Group, the internet exchange creates valuable redundancy and positions the region as a modern, resilient economic hub: "Carinthia offers a rare combination: fiber connectivity to international data routes, a strong mix of renewable energy, and access to a large pool of skilled professionals thanks to its location in the Alps-Adriatic region. All in all, we are well equipped – we just need to use this potential consistently."

The physical infrastructure was built by BIK Breitbandinitiative Kärnten, a company owned by the State of Carinthia, together with DE-CIX. The two mini data centers in container construction meet European security requirements for critical digital infrastructure (NIS2). DE-CIX, a German operator of internet exchanges, connects ALPSiX to its global interconnection network of more than 60 locations. This creates a fast, redundant data connection through the Alps to Europe's most important internet exchanges. Carinthia thus moves into a high-performance north-south data corridor. "With ALPSiX, we are opening a secure gateway to the digital world," says Peter Schark, Managing Director of BIK Breitbandinitiative Kärnten GmbH.

Traffic that used to run through distant hubs now stays in the region. That lowers latency and increases reliability for businesses, research institutions and public bodies across southern Austria. For data center operators, these are among the most important criteria when choosing a site: while the large, established internet exchanges in Western Europe are increasingly reaching their capacity limits, ALPSiX allows Carinthia to position itself as a high-performance alternative location. Sebastian Schuschnig, Carinthia's State Councillor for Economic Affairs, also sees a clear locational advantage: "ALPSiX is an economic policy lever for sustainable value creation and long-term growth in Carinthia."

There are more than 340 internet exchange points in over 100 countries worldwide. With ALPSiX, Carinthia now appears on the international map of internet exchanges.