Internet Exchange Points Move Beyond Big Metros: $5 Million Grant Supports One in Wichita

Kansas awarded a $5 million grant to nonprofit Connected Nation to construct a carrier-neutral internet exchange point (IXP) adjacent to Wichita State University’s Innovation Campus. Construction will be done through Connected Nation IXP, a joint venture between Connected Nation and Newby Ventures. The Wichita IXP will be the first carrier-neutral IXP in Kansas. One network that will connect to the Wichita IXP is the middle-mile network planned for the state that was funded, in part, through a June 2023, $42.5 million grant awarded to the Kansas Departments of Commerce and Transportation. The grant came from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Middle Mile program, and at the time, NTIA noted that plans for the project included connecting multiple new IXPs throughout the state. Wichita State University will provide a 40-year ground lease for the facility that CNIXP will use as an in-kind contribution to the grant, subject to final approval by the Kansas Board of Regents. The CNIXP will be built to withstand 200 mph winds and will have redundant electrical and mechanical systems.