AMS-IX in Amsterdam has been playing a crucial role at the core of the internet for 30 years and is one of the largest hubs for internet traffic in the world.
One of the ways AMS-IX keeps moving forward is by embracing the latest technology for connectivity. The ever-increasing demand for higher bandwidth and better performance led to the creation of LR1 optic transceivers and Inter.link is thrilled to announce that we are the first customer at AMS-IX to use 100G-LR1.
What is the difference between LR1 and LR4?
Theo Voss, CEO and Co-Founder of Inter.link, shared his thoughts on what makes LR1 different from LR4, and what this means for Inter.link’s customers.
“LR1 is the newer 100G standard of optic transceivers. The reason we offer LR1 in addition to LR4 is that LR1 offers the same speed (100G) but on just one wavelength modulated with PAM4.
“Having one wavelength means LR1 has fewer components, less power consumption, lower price, and less heat production compared to using LR4 – this is especially relevant for most of our customers which have huge bandwidth demand, and routers full of transceivers and optical modules, and it is where scale really makes a difference.”
What will the industry pick between LR1 and LR4?
Theo Voss continued his explanation. “The long-term direction that I see the industry taking is clearly towards 100G-LR1 due to all these advantages I mentioned, but for Inter.link it was crucial to offer both LR1 and LR4 to accommodate both types of customers, considering both types of demand or setups they have.
“Utilizing LR1 also aligns with Inter.link’s focus on sustainability. Due to them using less heat since they only have one laser instead of four, this is not only relevant from a commercial point of view when you consider the pure purchase price of the transceiver, but also from a sustainability point of view when you look at the question of energy usage and heat dissipation.”
Why did Inter.link choose AMS-IX?
There are multiple reasons why Inter.link chose AMS-IX as one of its key peering points, but it was particularly due to a focus on transparency and community.
The visibility of AMS-IX pricing on their website is a cornerstone in the industry and aligns with Inter.link’s dedication to transparency.
AMS-IX also develops close partnerships and aligns values with small-to-large operators with key AMS-IX people engaged in the network community.
Theo Voss said, “We very much appreciate that AMS-IX is seen as a community peer rather than as a large-scale business. The internet is maintained due to the connections between people, so it’s essential to keep the community alive and accessible.”
About AMS-IX
AMS-IX is a neutral member-based association that operates multiple interconnection platforms around the world. This leading platform in Amsterdam has been playing a crucial role at the core of the internet for 30 years and is one of the largest hubs for internet traffic in the world. Connecting to AMS-IX ensures members and customers such as internet service providers, telecom companies and cloud providers that their global IP traffic is routed in an efficient, fast, secure, stable and cost-effective way. This allows them to offer low latency and engaging online experiences for end-users.