The Data Facilities Internet exchange Program (DFIP) is open, and Frys-IX is the first internet exchange to take a position under it. The premise of the programme is straightforward: a regional internet exchange should not have to choose between a fair commercial deal at a metro facility and a thirty-six-month runway to grow into its switching footprint. DFIP gives both.
What DFIP is
DFIP is a structured colocation programme for internet exchanges and exchange-adjacent infrastructure. Two tiers:
- Standard tier — quarter cabinet, 1 kW power inclusion, two free 10 G BareFABRIC Ports (one local, one remote), 36 months covered at no recurring cost.
- Premium tier — full rack, 5 kW power inclusion, two free 10 G BareFABRIC Ports, 36 months covered.
The programme covers space, power, and the BareFABRIC fabric connectivity required to deliver service. Cross-connects to peering members and to the IX’s chosen route servers are quoted at the standard one-time install cost — no monthly recurring on inter-cabinet cross-connects at THG1. Applications are reviewed in five business days.
Why this matters for the Dutch market
The Dutch peering landscape is heavily concentrated. New regional exchanges that want to serve The Hague, Naaldwijk, and the broader western metro have, until now, had to choose between routing their peering footprint into Amsterdam metro pops and absorbing the metro transport cost themselves. DFIP closes the gap. A regional IX at THG1 sits inside a fourteen-facility metro fabric, with native peering on DFIX already lit on every BareFABRIC Port — its members reach it without a separate cross-connect ticket.
Frys-IX as the anchor
Frys-IX is the first IX to take a position under DFIP. We will not pre-empt their own announcement timeline, but they are operationally onboarded and the first ports are lit at THG1. Frys-IX is the internet exchange serving the northern Dutch region — bringing them into THG1 connects that footprint into the western metro through BareFABRIC, with onward reach to AMS-IX wholesale via Netrouting AS6206 for members that want it.
For Frys-IX members, the operational change is small: an existing Frys-IX port reaches additional networks via BareFABRIC’s metro footprint without buying separate transport. For DFDC tenants, the operational change is that DFIX is not the only exchange you can hit on your included port — Frys-IX is now reachable on the same fabric.
What we want from a second exchange
The programme is intentionally selective. We are looking for exchanges with a clearly defined regional or industry focus that DFIX does not duplicate, with route-server discipline (RPKI signed, drop-invalid), and with operational maturity around onboarding and incident response. If your exchange fits, the application packet is on the DFIP page.
For technical onboarding questions, contact operations@dfdc.io. For programme eligibility and commercial structure, reach out via the contact form.
