Peering Policy

Waterloo Internet Exchange is a neutral Internet Exchange enterprise and promotes the open peering policy. Any organization with a status of a legal entity owning a network may connect to Waterloo Internet Exchange. For connection, an organization should not have obligatory licenses for communication services. Throughout the connection period, the process specifications must be observed.

The mission of Waterloo Internet Exchange is to facilitate and promote peering between Content Providers and Internet Service Providers. This can be achieved only if its connecting connecting members volunteer to open peering. As such Waterloo Internet Exchange recommends to its connecting connecting members to actively seek for opening peering.

However, Waterloo Internet Exchange can and will not take any responsibility that a given connecting member will accept peering with another connecting member. In case several connecting connecting members report to Waterloo Internet Exchange that one connecting member continuously refuses peering, Waterloo Internet Exchange will seek the dialogue with this connecting member.

Open:

the connecting member opens peering on simple demand from any connecting member present at the Waterloo Internet Exchange.

Selective:

The connecting member evaluates every demand before opening the peering.

Restrictive:

the connecting member publishes restrictive objective criteria the other connecting member has to meet in order to establish a peering.

Paid peering:

in case the connecting connecting members do not reach an agreement for settlement-free peering, they may arrange for payment. This payment has to be negotiated and carried out between the connecting connecting members.

Bilateral Peering contracts:

Waterloo Internet Exchange does not require from the connecting connecting members to set-up formal peering agreements for exchanging traffic, however it is not allowed to send data/traffic to another party without acknowledgement of the other party. In case of infringement, Waterloo Internet Exchange has the right to immediately disconnect the infringing connecting member.

•  A connecting member may in no way interfere with traffic to or from another connecting member.
• A connecting member shall immediately assist in the correction of problems in its own, or in shared equipment.