Excited Wichita Breaks Ground on New Internet Exchange Point

May 21, 2025– The city of Wichita, Kansas, is receiving its first carrier-neutral Internet Exchange Point, with a groundbreaking event last Thursday.

An Internet Exchange Point, or IXP, is a physical location where broadband companies are united under one roof to serve a certain area. This creates quicker links for shorter loading times. IXPs are integral to enhancing middle mile connectivity because they facilitate intermediate connections between the internet’s backbone and last-mile user connections.

Carrier-neutral IXPs enable multiple broadband providers to connect in a single facility.

Kansas Office of Broadband Development Director Bill Abston said, “Quality broadband is the common thread that is central to bringing communities together.” 

Abston said he helped link Connected Nation and Newby Ventures to receive the $5 million grant for the IXP. The grant comes from $28.5 million state broadband funders under the state's Lasting Infrastructure and Network Connectivity program.

Connected Nation, a national non-profit, hosted the event to celebrate the IXP near Wichita State University. “The connection to reliable and affordable broadband, and the skills necessary to unleash its full potential, has been a driving force behind our organization,” said Tom Ferree, Chairman and CEO of Connected Nation, who opened the event.

“This IXP allows us to move faster, more securely, and more affordably,” Wichita Mayor Lily Wu said. “It’s a strategic investment that positions Wichita as a tech-forward, future-ready hub.” The mayor explained how it will help her city’s advanced research for aviation, a known civic strength. 

The collaboration between the city, Connected Nation, and the university will be a “first for many,” said Ferree. Hunter Newby, CEO of infrastructure investor Newby Ventures, said: “I have been buying buildings that have the networks in them.” 

Newby is a pioneer in the area of “meet me” connection points, or carrier-neutral spaces that enhance broadband connectivity. This IXP is a first for Newby, he said, in that there is not yet a building there.

“This partnership reflects Wichita State’s commitment to innovation, economic development, and serving the needs of our state,” Dr. Richard Muma, the president of Wichita State University. The school is ready for a more reliable network that allows students to access faster internet. 

The expansion, happening just across the street from the university’s Eck Stadium, is a “direct reflection of the kind of work we strive to do at Wichita State.” The school gave the project a 40-year ground lease, in addition to helping build the foundation to resist severe weather in the area. 

The IXP is planned to be finished and operational by Spring 2026.