Transforming ISP operations at enterprise scale
Interstellio IO, a South African tech startup, has revolutionised how Internet Service Providers manage their subscriber infrastructure through its mission-critical SaaS platform. By providing Authentication, Authorisation, and Accounting (AAA) services alongside comprehensive billing solutions, Interstellio IO enables ISPs to operate efficiently at massive scale without the traditional infrastructure overhead.
Led by industry veteran Christiaan Rademan, the company operates under its own AFRINIC IP space across multiple regions. With over 16 billion API requests processed and thousands of concurrent dashboard users, Interstellio IO’s platform serves as the backbone for major ISPs managing hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
“Our platform is truly mission-critical,” explains Christiaan. “There’s no room for downtime in this business.”
A strategic infrastructure partnership
As Interstellio IO’s platform grew, handling hundreds of thousands of real-time API calls and managing subscriber authentication for major ISPs, the demands on their infrastructure became extreme. They needed a hosting solution that could deliver enterprise-grade reliability without the capital investment typically required for such critical infrastructure.
The company evaluated multiple options before choosing xneelo Self-Managed Dedicated Servers.
How it works:
- Distributed architecture: Custom-built software stack designed from the ground up for low latency and high availability
- Multi-server scaling: Advanced partitioning and sharding across multiple physical servers with full redundancy
- Real-time processing: Handling 200,000+ API calls per hour for subscriber authentication and billing
- Compliance management: Data retention for all information, including deleted data, enabling historical IP usage queries
- Revenue protection: Ensuring ISPs maintain subscriber connectivity for continuous revenue generation
Why they chose xneelo Self-Managed Dedicated Servers
The Interstellio IO team conducted extensive analysis of infrastructure options before selecting xneelo:
Hyperscalers:
- Prohibitively expensive in comparison to equivalent infrastructure
- Added complexity layers unsuitable for their custom distributed software
- Limited control over the underlying hardware and network configuration
Self-built infrastructure:
- Massive capital investment for equivalent hardware setup
- Ongoing operational costs and staff requirements for 24/7 hardware support and spare parts management
- Complex redundant connectivity agreements with multiple ISPs
Xneelo Self-Managed Dedicated Servers:
- Cost-effective enterprise solution
- Carrier-grade infrastructure including Juniper MX routers without capital investment
- 24/7 on-site hardware support
- Redundant transit links via multiple service providers
“The cost comparison was a no-brainer,” notes Christiaan. “Why would anyone in South Africa build a SaaS platform [with a hyperscaler] when you can get carrier-grade infrastructure at a fraction of the cost with full control?”
Business impact
The partnership with xneelo Self-Managed Dedicated Servers delivered transformational results across all operational areas:
Cost transformation:
- Eliminated capital expenditure for hardware and data centre setup
- No ongoing rack space costs, power, cooling or redundant connectivity management
- Competitive service pricing enables them to pass these savings on to their customers
Operational excellence:
- Zero downtime since implementation across all 500, 000+ active subscribers
- Eliminated the need for dedicated hardware support staff and spare parts inventory
- Instant access to carrier-grade Juniper network infrastructure
- Multiple redundant connectivity providers managed transparently
Business enablement:
- Platform reliability enabling aggressive SLA commitments to major ISP customers
- Revenue protection for ISPs through continuous subscriber connectivity
- Scalable architecture supporting international expansion plans
- Competitive differentiation through dramatically lower service pricing
Infrastructure that enables innovation
“We built our entire software stack from scratch to eliminate unnecessary complexity layers. Xneelo’s infrastructure gives us the foundation to run distributed software across multiple dedicated servers without cloud virtualisation.”
The Self-Managed Dedicated Server solution provides Interstellio IO with:
Enterprise-grade reliability: Dual CPU servers with 4TB HDDs and SSDs, fully redundant across multiple physical servers
Carrier-class networking: Direct access to Juniper infrastructure and multiple upstream providers typically available only to major enterprises
Mission-critical support: On-site technical support with immediate hardware replacement capabilities
Transparent operations: Complete visibility and control over server configuration and performance
Interstellio IO continues expanding their infrastructure footprint with xneelo, adding servers as customer demand grows. The platform’s distributed architecture naturally scales across additional servers without architectural changes.
Advice for other businesses
Interstellio IO’s transformation demonstrates how the right infrastructure partner enables competitive advantage through cost and operational optimisation:
“I recommend xneelo Self-Managed Dedicated Servers to any technical professional who needs enterprise-grade infrastructure without enterprise-grade capital investment.”
Key considerations:
- Technical capabilities: Infrastructure decisions should be driven by technical teams who understand the underlying complexity
- True cost analysis: Factor in all operational overhead including staff, spares, connectivity and data centre management
- Reliability requirements: Mission-critical applications require carrier-grade infrastructure with reliable support
- Scaling flexibility: Choose infrastructure that grows with your business without architectural limitations
The competitive advantage
“Our customers get enterprise-grade AAA and billing services at startup-friendly pricing. That’s only possible because xneelo eliminates the traditional infrastructure barriers to enterprise-class hosting.”
By choosing xneelo Self-Managed Dedicated Servers, Interstellio IO transformed from infrastructure constraints to competitive advantage, enabling their vision of democratising enterprise-grade ISP infrastructure through innovative, cost-effective SaaS solutions.
