Digital economies across the globe are expanding at speed, powered by AI, e-commerce, digital banking, fintech, and other mission-critical business applications that rely on the internet for performance. Global internet bandwidth increased by 23% in 2025, with total international capacity reaching 1,835 terabits per second, according to a recent TeleGeography report. Enterprise connectivity is following a similar trajectory, with new use cases such as cloud and edge computing, SaaS platforms, real-time applications, and distributed workforces placing growing demands on networks across the globe.
The continued growth of cloud-first strategies, global internet traffic, and AI workloads makes it impractical for many organisations to deploy and manage physical infrastructure across multiple global markets. Legacy network infrastructure can struggle to support this expanding set of requirements when operations extend across regions. In today’s digital economy, where seamless, high-performance connectivity across markets is expected, enterprises cannot afford to be constrained by the cost and complexity of their network infrastructure.
Navigating this ever-evolving networking landscape can be challenging for organisations of all sizes and origins. While businesses have unique connectivity needs based on their operations, they share a common goal of providing fast, reliable, and secure experiences to customers and end users. Accessing cloud providers, content delivery networks, and other global partners and platforms introduces the challenge of balancing performance, cost, and global reach.
The role of peering
The peering model is one approach enterprises use to optimise network performance, particularly in high-demand sectors such as finance, gaming, broadcasting, research, and travel. Peering shortens the distance data travels to end users, improving speed and performance while reducing latency. By exchanging traffic at internet exchange points (IXPs), organisations gain greater control over how data flows across networks, while also improving performance and lowering costs. As of February 2026, there are 1,033 IXPs active across the globe, according to Internet Society Pulse.
However, establishing a presence at each chosen IXP can be costly and complex. Traditional peering models require direct connections and the physical deployment of infrastructure, including routers and cross-connects, at each IXP. Direct peering demands space, power, hardware, and cabling, all of which can be difficult to manage within budget constraints. While it delivers strong performance, it often involves higher costs, longer deployment timelines, and operational complexity.
Remote peering addresses these challenges by enabling organisations to connect to an IXP without requiring a physical presence at the same location. It uses a third-party provider’s infrastructure to deliver a virtual presence at one or more IXPs. This removes the need to deploy local hardware, as the provider carries traffic over its own network from the organisation’s point of presence to the IXP.
For businesses looking to expand global network coverage while keeping operating costs under control, remote peering is an alternative to direct deployment. While direct peering can take weeks or months to install and requires upfront investment in on-site equipment, remote peering follows a service-based model, offering lower upfront costs and faster deployment.
Simplifying global connectivity
Enterprises can implement peering through a single interconnection, enabling them to scale capacity and access multiple internet exchanges without deploying infrastructure in each location. This model can also extend global reach by enabling direct interconnectivity with internet exchanges through on-ramp locations in different markets.
In many cases, operational responsibilities such as internet exchange memberships, onboarding, and ongoing management can be handled through a managed service arrangement, reducing administrative and operational overhead.
Key benefits for enterprises
Remote peering can provide several operational benefits:
- Flexibility and scalability: Access multiple IXPs remotely via a single interconnection port, with the ability to scale bandwidth on demand according to requirements.
- Better user experiences: Reduce network latency by minimising the number of hops between service providers, improving performance for bandwidth-sensitive applications.
- Lower costs: Remote peering can reduce upfront capital expenditure by eliminating on-site infrastructure investments, allowing enterprises to pay for bandwidth as required.
- Resilience: Distributing connectivity across multiple IXPs can enhance network redundancy. Combining physical and remote peering connections can help maintain consistent service delivery.
Future-proofing networks
For enterprises, remote peering provides an alternative approach to extending global connectivity without deploying physical infrastructure in every market.
This approach addresses current enterprise connectivity challenges while supporting longer-term network design, enabling organisations to operate in an increasingly interconnected digital environment.
