Internet Exchanges In India: A Legal Anomaly

Background

The internet makes it easy for us to send a message from one corner of the world to another, but do you know how that happens?  Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) are the physical infrastructure that are vital for the functioning of the internet. IXPs are where internet service providers (ISPs) meet up to exchange data with each other. They are a vital cog in the information superhighway and without them our internet would slow down to a crawl, bringing back memories of the dial-up era. However, the legal status of IXPs in India is rather ambiguous and ill-defined. This article looks at the legal issues plaguing IXPs in India and their implications. 

But first, to understand IXPs, let us try understanding a bit about the internet.