From Left to Right: Onno Bos, International Partnership Director of AMS-IX; Ruben van den Brink, Chief Technology Officer of AMS-IX; Cliff Tam, Senior Vice President, Global Data Strategy & Operations, International Business of HGC; Michael De Castro, President of HGC PhilippinesHGC Global Communications Limited (HGC) and Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) have announced the launch of a new Internet Exchange in Manila, Philippines. The announcement was made during the 10th anniversary celebrations of AMS-IX Hong Kong, in the presence of the Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hong Kong and Macao, and a representative from the Office of the Communications Authority.
The new partnership aims to enhance the quality of the Internet worldwide, with AMS-IX’s peering expertise complementing HGC’s global network and digital infrastructure, bridging the West and the East. Together, the companies have successfully launched and fostered four internet exchanges in Hong Kong, Singapore, Chicago, and Bay Area, with AMS-IX Bangkok set to go live later this year.
The new Manila exchange is the sixth that HGC and AMS-IX operate together, and the Philippines has one of the world’s highest data usage, with over 80 million Internet users. The country’s digital boom is related to its thriving economic development, making it a crucial hub for internet and cables. This expansion paves the way for data centers, content providers, gaming, cloud service providers, mobile network operators, and hyperscalers to access the Philippines.
Internet in the Philippines
HGC’s Senior Vice President of International Business, Ravindran Mahalingam, expressed his excitement for the milestone of their cooperation with AMS-IX, stating that HGC is ready to extend internet exchange services as part of their edge ecosystem, EdgeX by HGC, and aims to expand their coverage in the region. Meanwhile, AMS-IX CEO Peter van Burgel said that the new exchange aims to bring affordable, high-quality Internet to all corners of the world and that they look forward to jointly engaging the local internet community and supporting the development of the Internet in the Philippines.
AMS-IX is a neutral member-based association that operates multiple interconnection platforms worldwide, with their leading platform in Amsterdam playing a crucial role at the core of the Internet for almost 30 years. AMS-IX interconnects more than 1000 IP-networks worldwide, ensuring efficient, fast, secure, stable, and cost-effective routing of global IP traffic for internet service providers, telecom companies, and cloud providers, allowing them to offer “low latency and engaging online experiences for end-users.” AMS-IX also manages mobile peering points, the Global Roaming Exchange (GRX), the Mobile Data Exchange (MDX), and the Internetwork Packet Exchange (I-IPX) interconnection points.
HGC Global Communications is an international telecom operator and ICT solution provider, owning an extensive network and infrastructure in Hong Kong and overseas and providing various kinds of services. HGC provides full-fledged telecom, data center services, ICT solutions, and broadband services for local, overseas, corporate, SME, and mass markets. HGC owns and operates an extensive fiber-optic network, five cross-border telecom routes integrated into tier-one telecom operators in mainland China, and connects with hundreds of international telecom operators.
