NL-ix acquires Swedish internet exchange STHIX
The KPN subsidiary is buying the exchange from Glesys; the acquisition price has not been disclosed.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
.jpg){kind=link}
NL-ix is acquiring Stockholm Internet eXchange, known as STHIX, from Sweden's Glesys. The transaction announced on Friday brings the internet exchange into the Dutch company's European network.
Seller Glesys announced the sale on 16 October. NL-ix is wholly owned by KPN and connects networks and exchanges internet traffic. The acquisition therefore concerns a link in the digital infrastructure. In the reporting consulted, the companies involved provide no information about the purchase price. [Glesys](https://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/glesys/pressreleases/glesys-sells-sthix-to-nl-ix-reinforcing-its-focus-on-nordic-digital-infrastructure-3472809)
According to the companies, STHIX was founded in 2006 and operates as a carrier-neutral internet exchange in Sweden. Such an exchange provides a place where different networks can exchange traffic with one another. In this description, neutrality relates to the services provided to network operators. This is separate from ownership of the company, which changes through the sale now announced.
According to Dutch IT Channel, STHIX's local presence and expertise will be retained. The acquisition is also intended to give customers access to more services for interconnecting networks. That is the announced direction of the collaboration. The available information contains no specific timetable showing when each individual service will become available to existing customers. [Dutch IT Channel](https://www.dutchitchannel.nl/news/762865/nl-ix-neemt-sthix-over)
Glesys says the sale fits with a stronger focus on cloud services, data centres and digital infrastructure. The company acquired STHIX in 2020. The Swedish publication Dagens Infrastruktur describes how Glesys has since worked on developing the exchange and the exchange of internet traffic. The sale now brings those activities into a company whose core activity is internet exchange. [Dagens Infrastruktur](https://www.dagensinfrastruktur.se/2026/10/16/glesys-saljer-sthix-till-nl-ix-fokuserar-pa-fortsatt-utveckling-av-nordisk-digital-infrastruktur/)
For NL-ix, the commercial significance lies primarily in expansion in the Swedish market. The company links the transaction to its broader European strategy. For organisations using the exchange's services, the availability of connections and the practical transition to the new owner are particularly relevant. These are also the points Glesys emphasises in its announcement: continuity of service and potential access to a larger network.
Those expectations are not yet measured outcomes of the acquisition. The reports consulted provide no figures on improved performance following the transaction, nor do they substantiate that customers will pay less. The financial scale of the expansion also cannot be assessed without a disclosed acquisition price. What is established is what the parties announced on Friday: STHIX is getting a Dutch owner and becoming part of NL-ix's European network. The further consequences for customers will become clear through implementation.
Also show where in Europe and in the world
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The sale, the companies involved and the publication date are supported by the press release and trade media. Announced benefits are presented as company expectations rather than proven improvements.
- confirmed Glesys announced the sale of STHIX to NL-ix on 16 October 2026. — The seller's press release is dated 16 October at 10:00. source
- confirmed NL-ix is a wholly owned subsidiary of KPN and STHIX will become part of its European network. — Both details are explicitly stated in Glesys's announcement. source
- confirmed According to company information, STHIX was founded in 2006 and is a carrier-neutral Swedish internet exchange. — The primary source describes the founding year, country of operation and function. source
- confirmed The financial terms have not been disclosed and, according to the announcement, local presence and expertise will be retained. — Dutch IT Channel mentions both points; retention is described as announced policy. source
- confirmed Glesys acquired STHIX in 2020 and links the sale to its focus on cloud, data centres and digital infrastructure. — Dagens Infrastruktur mentions the year of the earlier acquisition and the strategic explanation given by Glesys. source
- uncertain The acquisition delivers demonstrably better performance or lower prices for existing customers. — The sources contain announced possibilities, but no measurements or price comparisons. The article does not claim these outcomes. source
Editor's note
The seller confirms the transaction in a press release dated 16 October; two trade publications also report on it. The reporting relies mainly on company information and provides no independent measurement of benefits for customers. The purchase price and a specific timetable for expanding services are absent.Sources
- Glesys sells STHIX to NL-ix, reinforcing its focus on Nordic digital infrastructure — Glesys via Mynewsdesk
- NL-ix neemt STHIX over — Dutch IT Channel
- Glesys säljer STHIX till NL-ix – fokuserar på fortsatt utveckling av nordisk digital infrastruktur — Dagens Infrastruktur