About FD-IX
The Midwest Internet Exchange built by network operators, for network operators.
FD-IX—short for Fiber Data Internet Exchange—was founded to give carriers, content providers, and enterprises in America's heartland the same balanced, low-latency interconnection options enjoyed in the coastal hubs. What began in 2014 with a single 10 Gbps switch at a data center on Indianapolis's "fiber loop" has grown into a regional fabric spanning more than two dozen facilities across six states. Every port ties back to the same guiding principle: interconnection should be simple, affordable, and performance-driven—no politics, no long-term lock-ins, and no surprise fees.
Our Mission
We exist to accelerate the open exchange of Internet traffic in the Midwest, reducing cost and complexity for our members while boosting end-user experience across the region.
What We Do
Layer-2 Peering Fabric: 10 G, 100 G, and 400 G ports that let networks exchange traffic in a single hop and settle it off the public Internet.
Inter-Market Transport: Private VLANs and virtual cross-connects link every FD-IX city in a single AS-controlled MPLS core, so your routes follow your customers—never a detour through Chicago or Ashburn.
Remote IX Access: Need Midwest reach but can't justify another PoP build-out? Our transport partners can backhaul your traffic into any FD-IX node on day one.
Community & Education: From quarterly members' meetings to the annual Midwest Broadband Operators Conference, we champion knowledge-sharing and policy advocacy that keep independent operators competitive.
Footprint at a Glance
Today FD-IX operates switch clusters in Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Detroit, with new nodes scheduled for Des Moines and Nashville in 2026. Each location is carrier-neutral, staffed 24 × 7 by its host facility, and designed for N+1 resiliency from fiber entrance to power feed.
Because every site participates in the same routed fabric, members enjoy sub-2 ms latency within the "IX triangle" of Chicago–Indianapolis–St. Louis and predictable sub-10 ms round-trip times throughout the rest of the footprint.
Our Values
Neutrality First. We do not sell upstream IP transit, and we do not compete with our members.
Radical Transparency. Pricing, port statistics, and maintenance windows are published publicly; you should never wonder what your peers are paying or when the next upgrade hits.
Operational Excellence. Automated provisioning, on-call NOC, and real-time telemetry keep Mean Time to Repair in minutes, not hours.
Community Commitment. We sponsor regional ISP associations and STEM programs because better broadband starts with better collaboration.
Leadership & Governance
FD-IX is privately held and managed by a board of seasoned network engineers and data-center operators who have built Tier 2 ISPs, hyperscale CDN platforms, and carrier hotels throughout the United States. Decisions on major capital projects or policy changes are made in consultation with an elected Members' Advisory Council, ensuring the exchange evolves with—not ahead of—its stakeholders' needs.
Looking Ahead
The next phase of our roadmap focuses on:
- 400 G migration across all core rings,
- deeper participation in RPKI and MANRS security initiatives, and
- expanding remote IX access through strategic partnerships with long-haul dark-fiber providers.
These investments keep Midwest traffic in the Midwest, shrink carbon footprints by eliminating back-haul detours, and give every member—from rural WISP to hyperscale cloud—room to grow.
Ready to exchange traffic?
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