Newsletter – March 2026

FRNIX Community News

Find out about the latest news, events and new members of the FRNIX community in this March edition.

Editorial by
Antoine Fournier, FRNIX Director, member of CoStra

FRNIX is set to see a flurry of activity in the coming weeks, reflecting the new momentum about our association:

• Learn about peering and IXPs, as featured in this newsletter or through our subsidiary France-IX, via online micro-games,
• Presence on the major events from our community, such as FRnOG or the InCyber Europe Forum in Lille, or even
• Let’s get together, in person! with the aPEERo in Nantes, Paris, Lille and Toulouse.

At a time when dependencies affecting sovereignty are becoming a major concern, FRNIX is fully fulfilling its role as’contribution and knowledge-sharing. The more complex the world becomes, the more the digital sector needs trusted third party of which the sovereignty is both unambiguous and sustainable. FRNIX, the sole shareholder of its subsidiary France-IX, meets this need precisely by offering its members and partners French sovereignty whilst transparency.

FRNIX Events

aPEERo #022 - Lille - 31 March 2026
On the sidelines of the FIC, our sponsors ielo and Prysmian have planned a a packed programme focusing on a key aspect of peering: fibre! It was also an opportunity to exchange views with our members from Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.
https://frnix.org/events/apeero-022/

aPEERo #023 - Toulouse - 16 April 2026
Back in the ‘Pink City’, in the heart of Occitanie. With local organisations Tetaneutral and Touix in attendance, and a keynote speech by Marc Bruyère to spark discussion.
The team Zoréole, the event’s sponsor, is already looking forward to meeting you.
https://frnix.org/events/apeero-023/

A look back at:

aPEERo #019 - Lyon - 26 February 2026
Our sponsor, FOLAN, came along to give you a hands-on introduction to fibre-optic measurement, cleaning and splicing, as well as a fully equipped, open-access rack. nLighten had opened the doors to DC5 for us. Nearly 110 of you took part, whilst some unlucky ones were left on the waiting list. Priority was given to members...
📸 Photo gallery

aPEERo #020 - Nantes - 5 March 2026
In collaboration with Ouest.Network and sponsored by Light. Even more people than last year. A friendly evening to discuss peering and interconnection.
📸 Photo gallery

aPEERo #021 - Paris - 19 March 2026 – The FRnOG pre-event
The traditional warm-up night at Moxi Bastille with our sponsors: Adtran and DC2SCALE.
It was absolutely packed. 50% of those registered were members. The trend continues to grow.
📸 Photo gallery

Join to take part

The section  

What if you were to view the internet from the perspective of a data packet?

That is the challenge facing Packet Runner, our educational mini-game: take on the role of a data packet on the network, dodge obstacles, find the best route – and, whilst you’re at it, see for yourself why your connectivity choices have very real consequences for the performance, security and privacy of your communications.

Because behind every request lies an architectural decision. The game deliberately exaggerates reality to highlight this complexity: detours, instability, potential spying… everything that happens, silently, with every exchange of data.

The conclusion?
We don’t pit transit against peering – we combine them. The peering for optimised routes to the destinations that matter most. The IP Transit to ensure universal access to the whole of the internet. Both are essential.

Testing Packet Runner (You play it using the arrow keys, of course!)

Common misconceptions about peering:

Peering is only for major operators and the GAFAM companies. My network is too small to benefit from it.

This is one of the most widespread misconceptions! The reality is far more nuanced and inclusive.

IXPs are neutral marketplaces accessible to all (ISPs, start-ups, hosting providers, public services, businesses). A single port opens up hundreds of direct routes, reducing latency and costs whilst improving resilience. Peering is a strategy for bringing content closer to users. 
➡️ I’m coming meet with peering stakeholders to get an idea.

"Peering is far too complicated. Configuring BGP is a nightmare and I risk destabilising my network."

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) often has a reputation that precedes it. But these days, that fear is no longer justified.

The IXP ecosystem has simplified the adoption of BGP thanks to Route Servers, which eliminate the need to configure hundreds of individual sessions. BGP offers greater control over your routing policies to optimise performance and resilience. Furthermore, the community provides dedicated support.
➡️ Don’t be afraid of BGP any more! A training session or workshop, and off we go!

An IXP is only used to reduce bandwidth costs.

Reducing costs is a major benefit, but it is only the tip of the iceberg. To view an IXP solely from this perspective is to miss its most fundamental value.

An IXP is a critical piece of infrastructure that keeps traffic local, thereby enhancing resilience (a safety net in the event of an outage), performance (reduced latency) and digital sovereignty (less reliance on international providers). By connecting to it, you are helping to build a more robust internet.
➡️ Find an IXP near me: Map of IXPs in France.

 Other common misconceptions

New members

The community welcomes the following new members: 

Adtran, a global provider of fibre network solutions, specialising in open, disaggregated fibre access platforms, intelligent SaaS applications and smart home solutions.

DC2Scale, an independent French operator specialising in the design, construction and operation of sovereign and modular data centres across France: Paris-Vélizy, La Défense, Marseille, Lille and Grenoble.

EURORHINE-IX, by Stammt-IX, the newest IXP in France. They are building bridges in the heart of Strasbourg and across the Rhine. 

Light, designs, deploys and operates fibre networks across six departments: Val d’Oise, Yvelines, Loir-et-Cher, Indre-et-Loire, Maine-et-Loire and Haute-Savoie. LUMIERE comprises eight FttH and FttO networks, offering FTTH, FTTE, FTTO and FON services.

Nlyte Software, the industry benchmark for Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM), helping organisations worldwide to manage their computing infrastructure, including data centres, colocation, managed services, edge computing and the Internet of Things (IoT). 

as well as: 
Ivan Auguste Dormeuil on an individual basis.

Take part in a BGP workshop

Because Theory only makes sense when you get stuck in.
The BGP workshops, it takes two days to get the full picture:
basics, routes, filters, errors, best practice.

But above all : concrete cases. And experts to guide you.

You’re developing your skills. So are your teams.
It’s simple, useful and targeted.

Find out more about BGP training courses

Any questions? Any projects?

The FRNIX team is always here to listen to your feedback: