If you’ve ever asked what is cross connect in the context of data centers, the short answer is: a physical, direct connection between two termination points inside the same facility — for example, linking your colocation rack straight to an ISP, carrier, network provider, or cloud provider, without routing over the public internet.

It sounds simple, but cross connects are one of the most important pieces of enterprise network infrastructure, because they determine how fast, secure, and reliable your connections to critical services actually are.

How a Cross Connect Works

Instead of sending traffic out over the public internet to reach a carrier or cloud provider, a cross connect runs a dedicated physical cable — typically fiber — directly between two points within a data center or data center campus. This eliminates the extra hops, congestion, and unpredictability of internet-routed traffic.

Types of Cross Connects

Network and Carrier Cross Connects

Used to connect directly to specific internet and network providers within a data center — carriers, ISPs, and telecom operators — without routing traffic through the public internet.

Cloud Direct Connects

Connect your infrastructure directly to a cloud service provider such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud, bypassing the public internet for lower latency and more predictable performance.

Intracampus Cross Connects

Link separate buildings or facilities within the same data center campus, useful for enterprises spreading infrastructure across multiple halls or sites for redundancy.

EPL vs EVPL: The Two Core Ethernet Services

Cross connects are usually delivered as one of two Ethernet service types:

Service	Connection Type	Best For
EPL (Ethernet Private Line)	Point-to-point; all Layer 2 traffic passes untouched	Dedicated, single-destination links needing maximum performance
EVPL (Ethernet Virtual Private Line)	Point-to-multipoint via multiple virtual circuits on one port	Connecting to several parties from a single physical connection

EVPL tends to be the more practical choice for most enterprises: it lets you interconnect with multiple partners or providers from a single port, scaling your ecosystem without adding new physical infrastructure for every connection.

Why Enterprises Use Cross Connects

• Lower latency — dedicated physical paths outperform internet-routed traffic
• Stronger security — traffic never touches the public internet
• Predictable performance — no congestion from shared internet routes
• Simplified architecture — direct links to carriers and clouds reduce network complexity

Final Thoughts

A cross connect is a small piece of physical infrastructure with an outsized impact on network performance and security. For any business running latency-sensitive applications or multi-cloud workloads, it’s usually one of the first upgrades worth making.

DCConnect Global’s Data Center Interconnection service provisions cross connects and DCI links across more than 1,000 data centers in 56 countries, making it straightforward to connect racks, carriers, and clouds without managing every relationship separately.

FAQ

Is a cross connect the same as a leased line?

Not exactly. A cross connect is typically a short physical link within the same data center or campus, while a leased line usually spans longer distances between separate locations.

How long does it take to provision a cross connect?

Timelines vary by provider, but many facilities can provision a cross connect within days once both parties approve the connection — much faster than deploying a new WAN circuit.

Do I need a cross connect if I already have internet connectivity?

Internet connectivity works for general use, but a cross connect is worth adding when you need guaranteed low latency, stronger security, or a direct path to a specific carrier or cloud provider.