Release notes for Direct Link

05 May 2026

5 May 2026

Direct Link on Classic (1.0) using Equinix will no longer be available for new deployments, following the end-of-marketing date 15 September 2025, after which new orders were no longer accepted. Atlanta (ATL) remains the last location where Direct Link on Classic is still operational.

22 July 2025

End of Market (EOM) for Direct Link on Classic (1.0)

Starting 15 September 2025, new orders for Direct Link on Classic (1.0) will no longer be accepted. Existing Direct Link on Classic connections will continue to operate without interruption. No immediate action is required for current users. For more information, see the End of Market (EOM) announcement.

01 March 2022

Improved the user interface

Highlights include:

• Updated the Direct Link on Classic page to show all types of direct links. Also added new actions to the list view.
• Removed acceptance of the Master Service Agreement in favor of reviewing and agreeing to a list of prerequisites.
• The details page now appears as a card component view.
• You can now edit connections, and accept/reject pending provider requests through new side panels.

01 December 2019

IBM introduces a new Direct Link Dedicated release for VPC

Highlights include:

• Metered billing, which lowers the barrier of entry to IBM Cloud.
• Support for connections to multiple IBM Cloud accounts from a single direct link.
• Support for multiple VPCs (without classic access) from a single Direct Link within the same account.
• Bring Your Own IP (BYOIP) address to create native connectivity between your on-premises environment and IBM Cloud.

To learn more about the new Direct Link offerings, see FAQs. For ordering information, see Getting started with IBM Cloud Direct Link.

To determine which Direct Link Dedicated solution is right for your networking needs, see How do I know which Direct Link solution to order?.

01 March 2019

Expanded local markets

We expanded the Direct Link local markets to provide more local routing options to customers globally.

New local market assignments:

• The Dallas local market includes Denver, Houston, and Chicago PoPs.
• The Washington DC local market includes New York, Atlanta, and Miami PoPs.
• The San Jose local market includes the Los Angeles PoP.
• The Oslo local market includes the Stockholm PoP.
• The Sydney local market includes the Perth PoP.
• The Hong Kong local market includes the Taipei PoP.
• The Tokyo local market includes the Osaka PoP.
• The Chennai local market includes the Mumbai PoP.

Withdrawing of global routing network transit overage charges

Network transit limits and overage charges for customers with the Global routing option are withdrawn. Previous pricing included network transit allowances and overage charges for egress traffic outside of the customer’s local market. New pricing eliminates these network traffic charges. Henceforth, ingress and egress traffic across Direct Link connections do not incur overages.

13 March: Tokai is available in Tokyo 3 for Connect

8 March: TATA is available in Hong Kong 1 for Connect

1 March: EU Networks is available in Frankfurt 1 for Connect

1 March: NTT is available in Tokyo 5 for Connect

28 February 2019

February highlights

28 February: Zayo is now available in Washington DC 2 for Connect

27 February: MWS GNPP is now available in Washington DC 2 for Connect

21 February: Cyrus One is now available in Dallas 13 for Exchange

21 February: DE-Cix One is now available in Frankfurt 3 for Exchange

19 February: Neutrona is now available in Washington DC 2 for Connect

17 January 2019

January highlights

17 January: Intercloud is now available in both Frankfurt PoPs (FRA01 & FRA03) for Connect.

21 December 2018

December highlights

21 December: Console Connect is now diversely available in SNG02, LON01, and SJC02.

5 December: IBM Bluefringe is now available in Chennai for Exchange.

29 November 2018

November highlights

29 November: Colt is now available for Connect in SNG02.

7 November: Ascenty is now available for Exchange with Diversity in SAO01.

5 November: Equinix is now live at TOK03 with Full Diversity on Exchange.

16 October 2018

October highlights

16 October: Kinx is now active as an Exchange provider in Seoul02, with diversity.

New Connectivity Options for Direct Link

IBM Cloud is pleased to announce new and expanded collaborations with InterCloud, SES Networks, and CenturyLink.

08 September 2018

September highlights

8 September: SES Networks is now available with Diversity in WDC02 for Connect.

8 September: BT is now available without Diversity in Sao Paulo for Connect.

8 September: Centurylink is now available without Diversity in Miami for Connect.

IBM Cloud Direct Link continues connectivity collaborations

The IBM Cloud Direct Link service continues to expand globally! In light of the recent IBM Cloud Service Provider Program announcement, we made several more announcements recently.

01 August 2018

CenturyLink Connects to IBM

CenturyLink Cloud Connect Solutions now deliver private, secure network connectivity to IBM Cloud, helping organizations innovate more efficiently by establishing low-latency connections on a global basis across a private network to the IBM Cloud through IBM Cloud Direct Link. This extended collaboration between Century Link and IBM builds on Century Link's existing support for IBM Business Resiliency Services and IBM Cloud Managed Services.

01 July 2018

Digital Realty adds direct, secure access to IBM Cloud in 15 global metros

Direct access to IBM Cloud is now available through the Digital Realty Service Exchange and IBM Cloud Direct, by using more than 70 Digital Realty data centers and multiple continents around the globe. The Digital Realty Service Exchange provides private, secure, high-throughput, and low-latency access over a single interface to IBM Cloud, helping customers overcome some of the limitations of the public internet and helping to eliminate network congestion and enable critical workloads that were not previously feasible, such as AI, machine learning, and blockchain.

01 June 2018

IBM Cloud Direct Link Service Provider Program

We're pleased to announce our new IBM Cloud Direct Link Service Provider Program, which enables enterprises to select from a robust ecosystem of local and global providers and create the private connections to IBM Cloud that best suit their needs. We work closely to provide technical enablement and training to help ensure that service providers can offer enterprises reliable connectivity to the cloud from anywhere in the world. This gives our joint customers greater choice to select the right provider, speed of service, location, and deployment model to create a secure, highly available hybrid connection.

Colt offers direct access to IBM Cloud Direct Link

IBM Cloud is pleased to announce our extended collaboration with Colt. Thanks to Colt's Dedicated Cloud Access (DCA) service, customers can now establish private connectivity from their data center, office, or colocation environment. This helps to reduce network costs, increase bandwidth throughput, and provide a more consistent network experience than internet-based connections.

07 May 2018

May highlights

2 May: Equinix in NY02 and NY03 were delivered for Exchange, and are now live in the portal (with Diversity).

27 April 2018

April highlights

27 April: Arelion (formerly Telia) is now turned up for Connect in Stockholm.

25 April: LONDON 03 is now online with Equinix via Exchange. Diversity is in place, and confirmed in Portal.

25 April: Primary / Secondary NNIs @ AMS02 is now installed and tested for Colt.

25 April: Colt is now tested with Diversity in Frankfurt 1 PoP for Connect. Verified in Portal.

01 March 2018

PacketFabric Offers Connectivity to IBM Cloud

PacketFabric customers have access to IBM Cloud services in Dallas, Texas; San Francisco, California; and Washington, D.C., from any location on the PacketFabric network.

01 February 2018

IBM Cloud Direct Link Connect is available.