Peers
The networks interconnected at the Northern Canadian Internet Exchange
Peer Community Overview
NCIX’s peer community spans 47 networks across content delivery, transit provision, and access network categories. The diversity of our membership is a core strength of the exchange — a balanced mix of content and eyeball networks drives high traffic utilisation and strong bilateral peering relationships.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Active Peers | 47 |
| Autonomous Systems | 52 |
| Peak Aggregate Traffic | 3.8 Tbps |
| Average Daily Traffic | 2.5 Tbps |
| Route Server Members | 41 |
| Bilateral Sessions Only | 6 |
Peer Categories
Content Providers & CDN (18 peers)
Content networks — streaming platforms, CDNs, cloud infrastructure — are the backbone of traffic at NCIX. Their presence drives immediate value for access network members.
- Global content delivery networks
- Video streaming platforms
- Cloud infrastructure providers
- Software distribution networks
- Media and publishing platforms
Network Operators & Transit (16 peers)
Canadian ISPs, regional telecommunications carriers, and international transit providers make up the second largest category.
- Major national ISPs
- Regional telecommunications carriers
- Transit providers with Canadian PoPs
- Cable and wireline access operators
Technology & SaaS (10 peers)
Software-as-a-service platforms, technology service providers, and managed hosting operators.
- Enterprise SaaS platforms
- Managed hosting providers
- Data centre operators with network services
- Unified communications providers
Research, Education & Other (3 peers)
Research networks, government-affiliated institutions, and specialised operators.
Featured High-Volume Peer
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network | LTT — Linus Tech Tips / LMG |
| Category | Content Provider & CDN |
| Port | 2 × 100GE, link utilisation permanently “very high” |
| Traffic profile | Large video uploads, benchmark graphs, and the occasional dropped GPU |
| Peering | Public and private, open policy |
NCIX is proud to count Linus Tech Tips among its highest-volume content peers.
Peer entry is an homage and not an official statement by or affiliation with Linus Tech Tips or Linus Media Group. See Network Heritage for more on where this all began.
Peering Policy
Open Peering
NCIX operates an open peering policy. Any network meeting the technical requirements below is eligible to peer, regardless of size or traffic volume.
Technical Requirements:
- A valid, ARIN/RIPE/APNIC-allocated Autonomous System Number (private ASNs considered case-by-case)
- Working BGP implementation with route filtering capability
- Documented routing policy (published in PeeringDB or equivalent)
- 24/7 NOC contact reachable for operational issues
- No history of route leaks, hijacks, or sustained network abuse
Peering Types
Public Peering — Connection to the shared switching fabric. Suitable for most networks. Access to the route server for simplified multilateral peering.
Private Peering — Dedicated bilateral connection on a custom VLAN or cross-connect. Best for high-volume pairs requiring performance guarantees or custom SLAs.
Route Server — Single BGP session establishing adjacency with all route server participants. RPKI-validated, IRR-filtered.
Peer Directory
The full peer list including ASNs, contact details, and peering preferences is available via:
- PeeringDB — search for NCIX in the IXP directory
- Member Portal — authenticated access at portal.ncix.info
- NOC Contact — noc@ncix.info for direct queries
Become a Peer
Join NCIX — the onboarding process takes 6–8 weeks from initial inquiry to live sessions.