59 Exabytes of data traffic

DE-CIX Internet Exchanges saw a significant increase in data traffic in 2023. Our measurements revealed a total of close to 59 Exabytes of data exchanged at our locations globally – an increase of 23% from 2022.

Storage capacity of over 460 million smartphones

59 exabytes equals storage capacity of over 460 million smartphones each with 128 Gigabytes of storage space.

The increase in data traffic can be attributed to the continued rise in the use of Internet-based applications, including video conferencing, streaming services, gaming, and artificial intelligence. Throughout last year, different Internet-based services experienced varying levels of demand. Gaming services saw peaks at the beginning and mid-2023, while video streaming experienced highs in summer and winter. Video conferencing, on the other hand, found regular usage in spring and late summer, outside of vacation months.

November was the top traffic peak month

In November 2023, global data throughput hit a record-breaking 22.36 Terabits per second (Tbps). DE-CIX Frankfurt played a pivotal role in this surge, achieving a peak data throughput of 16.62 Tbps.

The growth trend extends beyond Frankfurt, with increased data throughput observed at various DE-CIX locations globally: DE-CIX New York, Dallas, Madrid, Mumbai and UAE-IX in Dubai all recorded significant growth in peak data throughput throughout the year.