An Internet Exchange Point (IXP) is an essential part of the technical infrastructure of the internet. It represents a place where different networks connect in order to exchange internet traffic. Some of the networks that connect to exchange traffic can include cloud services providers, content delivery networks, mobile networks and telecoms providers, among many others.
The creation of IXPs is not merely an engineering challenge, it also requires developing trust, understanding and mutual agreements among disparate providers many of whom are competitors. It is vital that they cooperate, however, so that the internet is more widespread and resilient. IXPs help create more direct routes for internet traffic and enable a more affordable alternative to sending traffic via more indirect routes which can become expensive.
For an IXP to function it needs hardware and technical experts to run it but for it to work well it also needs stakeholders who believe in making human connections through stronger technical networks.