Google’s Peering Policy Is Changing — Here’s What It Means for You

Key Changes

• Google will soon decommission all bilateral peering sessions over Internet Exchanges.
• Private Network Interconnects (PNIs) that carry less than 10 Gbps of traffic, or those not provisioned over a 100G physical port, are expected to be deprecated.

These changes will affect thousands of ISPs and networks globally.

Google Verified Peering Provider Program

To ease this transition and ensure reliable access to its infrastructure, Google has launched the Verified Peering Provider (VPP) Program.

Only selected connectivity providers that meet stringent technical and operational criteria are included.

What is a Gold Tier Verified Peering Provider?

A Gold Tier Verified Peering Provider is one that:

• Delivers Google traffic over dedicated infrastructure
• Meets Google’s performance and stability requirements
• Can support networks of all sizes, whether or not they qualify for direct peering with Google
• Provides redundancy, automation support, and fast provisioning
• Is listed officially by Google as a trusted partner

You can think of Gold Tier providers as Google’s trusted distribution backbone, able to bring Google’s traffic to networks via both metro and intercity delivery models.

Extreme IX Is Google VPP Gold Tier — and Ready

We're proud to share that Extreme IX is a Verified Peering Provider at the highest Gold Tier level

But more importantly, we were prepared well before these changes became public.

Our network architecture and peering design already account for these transitions — both within metros and across cities.

Whether your network is peering with Google at an IXP or through a sub-10G PNI, we have solutions to ensure uninterrupted Google access.

Things to Keep in Mind

1. Google automation may take up to 3 weeks to start routing traffic to new peers, even after technical provisioning is completed.
2. All your BGP prefixes must be valid — Google will not establish BGP sessions invalid routes are announced by the network wanting Google traffic.

What You Should Do Now

• Check your current Google traffic
  Visit portal.x3me.net or isp.google.com to review your usage and current peering setup.
• If your traffic with Google is < 10 Gbps:
  Raise a request at [email protected] to enable delivery over our Layer 3 Exchange fabric.
• If your traffic > 10 Gbps but you don’t have a 100G port in the DC where Google is present:
  Contact your Customer Success Manager or National Sales Manager to explore solutions — including Extreme’s intercity mesh that delivers Google traffic across geographies.

At Extreme, Readiness Is Routine

This isn’t a marketing milestone for us — it’s our commitment to proactive engineering.
We don’t rely on bells and whistles — we focus on building resilient infrastructure that evolves before you need it to.
And while others may showcase badges, the only one we value is the one you give us — your badge of trust.