1. Peering Introduction

Peering:
Peering is the business relationship whereby ISP’s reciprocally provide access to each other’s customers.

Transit:
Transit is the business arrangement whereby an ISP provides (typically sells) access to the global internet.

MWEB has an open peering policy and seeks to interconnect its network with other network providers on a settlement free basis for the purpose of exchanging traffic between the customers of each peering party’s network.

Peering to the MWEB network will be settlement free, but the transit of third party traffic can be carried by MWEB at a fee to be negotiated.

MWEB reserves the right to amend this policy from time to time. The latest version of the policy will always be available at www.mweb.com/peering.

MWEB will peer with any ISP that meets the requirements set out in clause 2 below. However, MWEB reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to accept or refuse any peering request, regardless if the requirements in clause 2 below are met or not. MWEB will evaluate each application for peering on its own merits.

Once a peering request has been accepted by MWEB the parties will sign MWEB’s standard Bilateral Peering Agreement.

2. Peering requirements

• You must be an ISP to peer with MWEB. MWEB will not peer with an access customer of MWEB.
• Peer must meet at one mutually agreeable geographically diverse point, preferably at a public peering point such as JINX or CINX.
• Peer must use a single peering ASN at each interconnection point within the same country and must announce a consistent set of routes at each point. The AS paths of all prefixes must start with the single ASN and contain no duplication of ASN’s.
• IP traffic will be handed over at the closest exit point. The parties shall implement shortest exit routing and advertise routes consistent with that policy.
• Peering shall include all networks included in all ASN’s owned by both parties.
• Peers will peer with MWEB at all common peering points.
• MWEB shall peer by means of BGP-4.
• Where applicable, all routes and networks exchanged and the routing policy governing this will be registered with RIPE or other recognised registries.
• Neither party will use or cause the interconnection to be used for transit traffic.
• Peering should be mutually beneficial.
• Peer must have a 24/7 NOC.
• Parties must enter into MWEB’s Bilateral Peering Agreement.
• Each peering party shall bear its own costs of connection to the peering point. Peering parties shall agree on apportionment of costs should any direct connections take place.
• Peer shall ensure that its Backbone / Network capacity is sufficient to carry peering traffic to the intended destination.

3. How to request peering with MWEB

Requests for peering with MWEB should be in writing and submitted to peering@mweb.com.

• the Requester’s complete contact information (name, phone, email)
• the Requester’s ASN
• a list of suggested interconnection points
• evidence of meeting criteria set out in clause 2 above, alternatively motivation for wanting to peer