The Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) has increased its footprint in the Chicago area through a deal with wholesale data center provider DuPont Fabros Technology (DFT). The non-profit internet exchange signed a letter of intent to install and maintain a point-of-presence (PoP) connection to its AMS-IX Chicago peering network within DuPont Fabros’ Chicago 2 (CH2) data center in Elk Grove Village, Ill., located in Chicago’s northwestern suburb. 

The PoP will be just the third in the AMS-IX Chicago infrastructure; the internet exchange previously established similar connection points at a hosting facility for derivatives market CME Group and another at CoreSite’s CH1 data center. With two previous connection points located in downtown Chicago, the PoP at DuPont Fabros’ CH2 data center will be the first available in the city’s suburbs. DFT’s Chicago area customers will have access AMS-IX Chicago, which facilitates the exchange of IP traffic with other members on the exchange “in a stable, fast, and cost-effective manner,” said AMS-IX. The European-based internet exchange calls itself the world’s largest, and boasts of a peak internet traffic rate of nearly 3.5 Tb/s.

“AMS-IX was considering a location outside of downtown Chicago, and we are pleased that they selected DFT, providing our customers peering options previously not available to them,” said Vinay Nagpal, DuPont Fabros’ director of carrier relations, in a press statement. Nagpul added that DFT customers at both data centers can connect to the AMS-IX Chicago node “using DFT’s underground conduit system and dark fiber.”

The PoP is expected to go live in the third quarter of this year, according to a joint statement.

AMS-IX is in the midst of a brisk roll out in key markets, as it tries to battle the supremacy of traditional data center giants that have generally controlled the US internet exchange market. Since beginning its US operations in 2013, the Amsterdam-based organization has established internet exchanges in the New York metro, Chicago, and San Francisco Bay areas.