By Felicity Ussher, 27 September 2000 13:45
NEWS The as-yet-unnamed project will be the commercial equivalent of Linx, the managed internet hub - or traffic exchange point - for ISPs in the UK that Mitchell founded in 1994. His new project will sell connectivity services to ISPs across major European cities. Linx is currently funded by the membership dues of UK ISPs. It does not make a profit. But Mitchell believes that with growing competition from co-location services and bandwidth exchanges, profits are essential for an internet exchange point to fund technological development. He told silicon.com: "I think there has been some scepticism that a for-profit model is needed. But looking two or three years down the line, I just don't see any alternative." Annette Nabavi, the CEO of the new company, is a merchant investment banker with experience at Barings. Keith Mitchell will be chief technology officer. Former LINX directors Alex Bligh and Richard Almeida have helped arrange venture capital funding. Mitchell believes there will always be a role for not-for-profit organisations in internet administration. He cited Icann and Nominet as cases in point. But he also believes membership governance is only appropriate where there is a monopoly, such as in the web naming and numbering space. "I simply don't see exchange points as being a monopoly any more," he said. Mitchell's replacement as CEO of Linx is Roland Perry, its former regulation officer. The organisation has scheduled meetings about its own future over the next few months.
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