West Asia volatility reinforces national need to keep internet traffic local, says MyIX

• Local peering seen as key to strengthening Malaysia’s network resilience
• Traffic growth underscores rising dependence on domestic connectivity

Rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia and potential risks to submarine cables are highlighting the need for Malaysia to keep more internet traffic local, as concerns grow over global connectivity risks and potential disruptions to critical digital infrastructure, according to Malaysia Internet Exchange (MyIX).

MyIX chairman Chiew Kok Hin said domestic peering plays a critical role in strengthening network resilience by reducing reliance on international routes and limiting exposure to external disruptions.

Recent developments, including risks to submarine cables in the Red Sea, have highlighted the vulnerability of global connectivity infrastructure and the importance of strengthening domestic networks, he added.

“If regional cable incidents occur, having more traffic exchanged locally can help limit the extent of disruption to services within the country,” Chiew said.

“Peering enables local traffic to remain within national borders, improving efficiency and reducing unnecessary dependence on international links. As digital services expand across business, government and daily life, strong domestic connectivity is becoming an increasingly important foundation for Malaysia’s digital economy,” he added.

Established in 2006 under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, MyIX serves as Malaysia’s national internet exchange, enabling networks to interconnect locally and exchange traffic more efficiently. By facilitating domestic peering, it helps improve performance, reduce latency and reduce dependency on international bandwidth, while strengthening overall internet resilience.

Traffic at MyIX rose 16% to 2,527 Gbps as of February 2026, up from 2,184 Gbps in 2025, reflecting rising digital activity and the growing importance of resilient internet infrastructure.

“The rise in traffic reflects how central strong domestic connectivity has become to businesses, users and digital services nationwide,” Chiew said. “As Malaysia advances its AI Nation 2030 aspirations, reliable connectivity will become increasingly important to innovation, investment and service delivery.”

He was speaking at the conclusion of the exchange’s 18th AGM in Kuala Lumpur.

To support growing demand, MyIX has strengthened cyber readiness, improved geo-redundancy, upgraded ports and onboarded new peers over the past year.

Major content and platform providers have also expanded their presence at MyIX, increasing capacity in response to rising usage and reinforcing the role of local exchange connectivity.

Despite rising costs, MyIX has maintained its monthly port fees for 2025 at US$85 (RM400) for 1G, US$345 (RM1,600) for 10G and US$1,600 (RM7,200) for 100G.

“MyIX’s pricing positions us as one of the most affordable internet exchanges in the region,” Chiew said.