Zagreb, 7 May 2025 – The University of Zagreb University Computing Centre (SRCE) has launched a new node of the Croatian Internet eXchange (CIX) at the DC North data centre in Varaždin.
Established and hosted by SRCE in 2000, CIX is Croatia’s national internet exchange point. Over the years, its network infrastructure has expanded to multiple locations. A second location was added in 2016 at the Digital Realty ZAG1 data centre in Zagreb. The newly launched third location in Varaždin follows the signing of a hosting agreement between SRCE and DC North in October 2024.
“By further distributing CIX’s network infrastructure, we aim to enhance its resilience and availability, offering CIX members improved service quality, reliability, and flexibility,” stated Ivan Marić, Director of SRCE.
CIX is open to all internet service providers (ISPs) in Croatia. Its use helps reduce costs for both ISPs and end users while enabling high-quality, low-latency domestic connectivity. Since its inception, over 1,800 PB of data has been transferred through CIX. In 2024 alone, 322.7 PB of data passed through the exchange – an 8% increase compared to the previous year. CIX currently has 38 active members.
The new CIX node in Varaždin offers the same connection options and service quality as the existing locations. It is redundantly connected to the other two nodes with a 100 Gbit/s link and can scale further to meet future demand.
“The DC North data centre in Varaždin holds a Uptime Tier III Facility certification and is strategically positioned at Croatia’s northern gateway, where international optical backbones intersect. Located in a different seismic zone than Zagreb, the facility offers 2,000 m² of IT space across six rooms and a total available capacity of 4 MW. It strictly adheres to a carrier-neutral model,” added Darko Pintarić, Director of DC North.
As the initiator and coordinator of CIX since its founding, SRCE ensures the continuous operation and technical conditions required for interconnection. Last year, SRCE modernised CIX infrastructure, expanding capacity for members looking to upgrade from nx10 Gbit/s to 100 Gbit/s. A key technical milestone was the introduction of Ethernet VPN (EVPN) to support a new three-location topology.
Additionally, CIX was recently aligned with the Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security (MANRS), marking another significant step toward a more secure internet.
Since 2008, CIX has been a full member of the European Internet Exchange Association (Euro-IX), which promotes a culture of openness and knowledge sharing among internet exchange points.
