Lancom Expands NetIX GR to Crete
Chania Becomes Home to the Island’s First Internet Exchange
Lancom, Greece’s largest provider of data center, cloud, and telecommunications services, today announces the expansion of NetIX GR to Chania, establishing the first Internet Exchange (IX) in Crete.
NetIX GR was launched in 2024 by Lancom, powered by the NetIX Internet Exchange-as-a-Service (IXaaS) platform, and has rapidly evolved into one of the fastest-growing Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in Southeast Europe. In less than a year, it expanded across Athens and Thessaloniki, reaching nearly 40 members, including international carriers such as Hurricane Electric, interconnection organizations like Packet Clearing House, and leading Greek providers including TI Sparkle Greece, Fibergrid – PPC, Hellenic Cable Networks, and Metadosis.
Globally, NetIX interconnects more than 200 members through 220+ Points of Presence (PoPs) across 65 countries, providing access to over 10,000 networks. Within this international ecosystem, NetIX GR stands out for its rapid growth and strategic impact. By seamlessly unifying traffic between Athens and Thessaloniki, it has established itself as a critical interconnection hub for ISPs, CDNs, hyperscalers, and content providers in Southeast Europe — delivering ultra-low latency, enhanced resilience, and reduced interconnection costs.
With its expansion to Chania, Lancom and NetIX take the next decisive step toward decentralizing interconnection infrastructure in Greece. For the first time, networks in Crete will be able to interconnect locally while exchanging traffic seamlessly with Athens and Thessaloniki through the same unified platform. This development places Crete at the core of the national interconnection ecosystem and lays the groundwork for a new regional digital gateway.
Crete is rapidly emerging as a strategic digital gateway of the Mediterranean. Owing to its geographical position — at the crossroads of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East — the island has become a preferred landing point for a new generation of subsea cables reshaping global data flows. The combination of subsea capacity, landing stations, new data center developments, and the NetIX GR interconnection platform firmly establishes Crete as a bridge between continents.
George Nolis, CEO of Lancom, stated:
“With NetIX GR, our vision has always been to decentralize interconnection in Greece and empower regional digital ecosystems. Establishing the first Internet Exchange in Chania marks a historic milestone for Crete’s digital economy. Together with NetIX, we are ensuring that Crete will no longer serve merely as a transit point for subsea cables — it will become an active interconnection hub. Local ISPs, CDNs, hyperscalers, and enterprises can now meet at the exchange, unlock new opportunities, keep traffic local, and simultaneously gain direct access to both national and international networks. The upcoming Balkan Gate data center in Heraklion will further complete our vision of Crete as a true digital gateway to Greece and Europe.”
Dean Belev, VP of Interconnection Services at NetIX, added:
“NetIX is proud to provide the IX-as-a-Service platform supporting Lancom’s ambitious expansion of NetIX GR. The growth we are witnessing in Athens and Thessaloniki reflects strong demand for both local and global interconnection in Greece. Expanding to Chania positions Crete firmly on Europe’s digital map, ensuring that the entire region benefits from faster, more cost-efficient, and highly reliable connectivity.”
