At IBC 2026, Prue Combellack, Head of New Business at LINX, the London Internet Exchange, discussed the middle mile with MainStreaming and Namex: past, present and the next 30 years of the internet. The focus was on the lasting value of internet exchanges, a broad mix of connectivity options and an end-customer experience that remains at the centre of every single choice.
PRUE COMBELLACK, LINX – THE LONDON INTERNET EXCHANGE
Prue Combellack is Head of New Business at LINX, the London Internet Exchange.
THE MIDDLE MILE: A CONVERSATION WITH MAINSTREAMING AND NAMEX
At the show she spoke with the lovely people from MainStreaming, and also with Namex, about the middle mile: what it actually means and how it can be improved. The conversation covered a lot of ground. It started with what is happening today and what has happened in the past, then turned to what will happen in 30 years’ time and what the future holds.
THE IMPORTANCE OF AN INTERNET EXCHANGE
As the discussion went on, one thing became really apparent: the importance of an internet exchange. Internet exchanges have always been valuable, and they will be valuable moving into the future as well.
CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS AND THE END CUSTOMER’S EXPERIENCE
In the end, it is about having that mix and that selection of different options in terms of connectivity, which depends on what the end customer needs. Everything comes back to the end customer’s experience, which is very much in line with the types of products and services that MainStreaming offers.
LINX: AN INTERNATIONAL IXP
The London Internet Exchange is an international IXP, and its focus is on keeping internet traffic local.
FROM FIVE ISPS TO THREE CONTINENTS
The history of LINX helps explain these words. It was set up in 1994 by just five ISPs. Today it is a member-owned, not-for-profit exchange with more than 900 member networks and traffic peaks above 13 Tbps. In the UK it runs LON1 and LON2 in London, as well as sites in Manchester, Scotland and Wales. Abroad, it is present in Northern Virginia, Accra, Nairobi and Mombasa. The link with Namex has a concrete side too: through IXConnect, members can reach the Rome exchange, along with JPIX and NYIIX. Peering is still the core service, and it sits alongside Cloud Connect, MAPS, Private VLAN and Colocation.
A MEMBERSHIP ORGANISATION BUILT ON COMMUNITY
LINX is a membership organisation, so community is super important to it. That is why a lot of effort goes into keeping both existing and new members up to date, providing education and information.
PEERING SERVICES AND OTHER PRODUCTS
On the service side, LINX delivers regular Peering services and also provides clients with other products and services as well.
MAINSTREAMING, A LINX MEMBER
MainStreaming is itself a member of the organisation, and LINX has worked with them for a number of years.