Networks and addresses
Peering and internet exchanges
Networks connecting to each other directly, often at an internet exchange, to swap traffic without a middleman.
Two networks that exchange a lot of traffic can connect directly instead of sending it through their upstream providers. That is peering. It is usually free between networks of similar size, it shortens the path, and it takes load off the transit links both sides pay for.
An internet exchange (IX) is a switch fabric where many networks meet: one port, one cable, and BGP sessions with dozens of other members, often through a route server that distributes everyone's routes. LU-CIX in Luxembourg, BNIX in Brussels, France-IX in Paris and AMS-IX in Amsterdam are the exchanges in this region.
For a user, peering shows up as latency: a server whose network peers at the exchange where their ISP is present is a few milliseconds closer and takes a more predictable path. Where a provider exchanges traffic says more about the speed you will see than which country the server is in.