AzerTelecom and DE-CIX to Launch AZE-IX, Strengthening Azerbaijan’s Role as a Regional Digital Gateway

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN, September 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- AzerTelecom, the international backbone operator within Azerconnect Group, part of NEQSOL Holding, and DE-CIX, the world’s leading Internet Exchange operator, have entered into a strategic partnership to launch AZE-IX, a new Internet Exchange in Azerbaijan.

AZE-IX will serve as a neutral platform for local and international networks, content providers, cloud service providers, and enterprises. By enabling Internet traffic exchange within Azerbaijan, the platform will reduce latency and enhance the performance and resilience of backbone Internet networks.

The launch of AZE-IX represents an important milestone in the implementation of NEQSOL Holding’s Digital Silk Way project, a transcontinental initiative designed to establish a new digital corridor between Europe and Asia. It will further support the development of data exchange and digital connectivity between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Commenting on the significance of the partnership with DE-CIX, Emil Masimov, Chairman of the Board of AzerTelecom, noted: "AZE-IX will become one of the key Internet interconnection platforms for regional and global networks, placing Azerbaijan on the global map of Internet Exchanges. At the same time, the new platform will improve the overall efficiency and resilience of the country’s Internet infrastructure and create new opportunities for cross-border traffic exchange and digital collaboration across the region."

Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX, said: “DE-CIX has spent more than three decades building neutral interconnection ecosystems globally that help regions close gaps in digital access and capability. By keeping data traffic local, secure, and resilient, these ecosystems lay the foundations for a thriving digital economy. Azerbaijan’s position at the crossroads of the Caspian, Black Sea and Central Asian corridors makes it a natural location for a new connectivity hub. We look forward to working with AzerTelecom to bring our proven interconnection model to Baku and support the development of the country’s interconnection ecosystem.”

AZE-IX will be developed using DE-CIX’s internationally proven interconnection model, which supports Internet Exchanges across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

For NEQSOL Holding, the initiative reflects a broader investment approach focused on modern telecommunications infrastructure, international partnerships and the development of scalable digital ecosystems across the markets in which the group operates.

The new platform will integrate Azerbaijan more closely into the global Internet Exchange ecosystem, support the continued development of the country’s digital economy and create new interconnection opportunities for regional and international networks.

For DE-CIX, the establishment of AZE-IX represents another important step in the evolution of its global ecosystem of Internet and Cloud Exchanges. With the company’s presence in 60+ markets spanning North and South America, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as South, East, and Southeast Asia, AZE-IX now represents the company’s first steps in Western and Central Asia.

Accessible from data centers in over 600 cities world-wide, DE-CIX interconnects thousands of network operators (carriers), Internet service providers (ISPs), content providers and enterprise networks from more than 100 countries, and offers peering, cloud and AI connectivity, and other interconnection services.

AzerTelecom is the region's largest international backbone operator, providing wholesale Internet transit, transmission, connectivity, and other services. AzerTelecom operates within Azerconnect Group, which is part of NEQSOL Holding.

NEQSOL Holding is a diversified international group of companies with operations in 11 countries, active across the energy, telecommunications, hi-tech, construction, and mining sectors. The Group serves more than 25 million customers and employs over 20,000 people worldwide.

Elmira Yenikeyeva
NEQSOL Holding
eyenikeyeva@neqsolholding.com