This is how Orange bypasses Warsaw and speeds up the Internet

The Internet reaches users in three ways. The first is international transit. It is a connection to the global network using nodes in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Vienna. The user’s computer connects to the operator, then the signal goes to the foreign network, and then to the target provider and the end server. This is the longest possible transmission route. The result is higher ping and slower page loading.

The second way is through content delivery networks. In English it is called Content Delivery Network. It is a network of servers located in many places around the world. They store copies of pages, videos or images. After entering the given address, the system checks the Internet user’s location and then sends content to him from the nearest server. Pages load faster and experience less lag. This also relieves the burden on the main infrastructure. This solution is used by popular multimedia and streaming platforms.

The third solution is peering. This means direct connection of individual operators’ networks. The largest companies exchange Internet traffic directly between themselves. Smaller providers use IX traffic exchange platforms for this purpose. Orange runs such a node called TPIX. Orange boasts that it provides the greatest traffic on the Polish market.

Previously, data exchange between operators on the TPIX platform took place at nodes in Warsaw. This forced the signal to be transmitted through the country’s capital. This even applied to connections between nearby cities.

Orange recently implemented local traffic closures on TPIX. It covers 14 cities where the operator has its headquarters. This list includes Szczecin, Gdańsk, Olsztyn, Poznań, Bydgoszcz, Białystok, Łódź, Warsaw, Wrocław, Katowice, Kraków, Kielce, Lublin and Rzeszów. This enables direct exchange of Internet traffic in specified locations.

The solution is based on modern EVPN network technology. It creates a secure virtual network connecting different cities, and the protocols select the shortest possible connection path. Data exchange now takes place directly, for example from Krakow to Katowice. This completely bypasses the facilities in the country’s capital.

Direct transfer brings tangible benefits to users and companies. This solution significantly speeds up the operation of the Internet and increases the level of security. A possible equipment failure in Warsaw will no longer cause traffic to stop in the other 14 cities.

Over 400 operators currently use the TPIX platform. This group includes foreign giants such as Amazon and Facebook. On peak load days, traffic can reach up to 3 Tb/s. This result shows the great importance of the TPIX node. Platforms exceeding the 1 Tb/s threshold belong to the elite club of the most important points of the global Internet.