30 Years of BNIX: a Milestone for Belgium’s Internet Backbone
Sep 30
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30 Years of BNIX: a Milestone for Belgium’s Internet Backbone
On September 25, ISPA Belgium joined partners, peers, and friends at Hotel Amigo in Brussels to celebrate the 30th anniversary of BNIX, Belgium’s national internet exchange point.
Founded in 1995 by Belnet, BNIX has been at the very heart of Belgium’s internet for three decades, enabling internet providers, cloud platforms, and content services to exchange traffic locally and securely. As one of the driving forces behind the creation of ISPA Belgium, BNIX has played a pioneering role in shaping the digital ecosystem we rely on today.
Reflections on 30 Years - and the Future Ahead
Henri-Jean Pollet, Chair of ISPA Belgium, delivered a keynote highlighting the shared journey of ISPA and BNIX since their founding days. He underlined three key evolutions that have defined Belgium’s digital backbone:
Local anchoring in a global world: investing in local infrastructure and peering via BNIX strengthens Belgium’s digital economy, while reducing dependency on foreign hubs.
People and skills at the core: reliable internet requires not just technology, but also talent. Training and attracting digital professionals remain essential.
Security in a complex climate: in today’s geopolitical context, secure and transparent platforms like BNIX are indispensable to protect traffic and trust.
Looking ahead, Mr. Pollet emphasized that the internet of tomorrow will be faster and smarter, but that its foundation must remain collaboration and trust between all players in the internet chain.
A Strong Partnership
Speaking on behalf of ISPA Belgium, Henri-Jean Pollet noted:
"Representing the Belgian internet sector, ISPA has always seen BNIX as a pillar of our digital infrastructure for 30 years. The platform enables both internet providers and international players, such as cloud and content services, to exchange traffic locally and efficiently. This results in better performance, lower costs, and a stronger competitive position for Belgium. ISPA Belgium values its long-standing collaboration with BNIX and looks forward to further strengthening this successful partnership in the future.”
Looking Forward
BNIX’s anniversary was not only a moment to reflect on its pioneering role, but also to look ahead. With internet traffic set to grow further through streaming, AI workloads, and new digital services, the platform will continue to play a vital role in keeping Belgium connected, competitive, and resilient.
As ISPA Belgium, we are proud to stand alongside BNIX in building the next 30 years of a performant, open, and inclusive internet for all.
