AMS-IX withdraws from the USA

AMS-IX is ending its business activities in the United States. According to the company, operations at the two US locations in Chicago and the Bay Area of California will cease on March 5, 2026. The Amsterdam-based operator is one of the world’s largest and oldest Internet Exchanges and had been active in the US since 2013. It entered the market with the aim of establishing the European model of neutral internet exchanges, which is based on open exchange points between network operators, in North America.

AMS-IX cites a strategic realignment as the reason for its withdrawal. In future, the available human and financial resources are to be concentrated on markets in which a greater structural influence on the expansion of digital infrastructure is expected. In this context, the company refers to emerging markets. Specific economic figures, such as the capacity utilization of the US locations or the profitability of the business there, are not published. Similarly, AMS-IX does not provide any information on whether political or regulatory conditions in the USA have played a role. These aspects can therefore not be verified.

For existing customers in the United States, AMS-IX has announced that it will actively support the transition to alternative solutions. The company is working with the provider Megaport to continue existing interconnection and connectivity structures with as little disruption as possible. The aim is to minimize negative effects for connected network operators and companies.

The strategic focus of AMS-IX is to shift more strongly to emerging markets in future, particularly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. These regions are considered to be fast-growing, as both Internet penetration and the need for local peering continue to increase there. Internet Exchanges play an important role in these markets because they can help lower international transit costs, reduce latency and strengthen regional digital ecosystems. AMS-IX is already present in several of these countries and intends to expand this commitment.

The withdrawal from the USA is in contrast to the assessment of the German Internet exchange operator DE-CIX. There, the US market is still considered to be strategically relevant. According to the company, there is a high and sustained demand in the United States for direct interconnection services, cloud connections and infrastructure for data-intensive applications, including in the field of artificial intelligence. DE-CIX operates several locations in the USA and continues to see the market as a stable growth area. At the same time, DE-CIX is also pursuing an expansion strategy in emerging markets such as Latin America, Southeast Asia and India, albeit in addition to the established markets in Europe and North America.

AMS-IX’s decision illustrates the increasing differentiation in the global market for Internet infrastructure. While established markets such as the USA are characterized by a high level of competition and comparatively lower growth rates, emerging markets continue to offer considerable development potential. The withdrawal therefore does not represent a general loss of importance of the US market, but reflects a company-specific prioritization.

Conclusion

AMS-IX’s withdrawal from the USA reflects a clear strategic shift in focus towards emerging markets with higher growth potential. The exact economic or political background to the decision is not disclosed and cannot be verified. A direct comparison shows that other operators such as DE-CIX continue to regard the US market as central. This underlines the fact that there is no uniform strategy in the global market for Internet Exchanges and that regional priorities depend heavily on the respective business model.