FEATURE: INTERCONNECTING AFRICA

Internet Exchange Points are playing a pivotal role in accelerating the spread of Internet and encouraging development of Internet-based economic activity in Africa. Internet Exchange Points support exchange of domestic Internet traffic between ISPs and Content Providers and their customers on a cost-neutral basis since domestic traffic need not be sent through expensive global networks and transit providers says Marinela Liomba at Angola Cables.

Internet Exchange Points are technical infrastructures that enable a faster, cheaper, and more reliable Internet experience by bringing multiple networks from the private, public, and educational sectors together to connect and exchange Internet traffic. Instead of using expensive international transit routes, Internet traffic is exchanged locally – often with improved latency and efficiency. cost-effective bandwidth for countries, companies and communities. Without Internet Exchange Points, there would be no Internet as we know it.

Apart from being a physical location where multiple Internet service providers, ISPs, content delivery networks, CDNs, and other network providers exchange Internet traffic with one another, these Internet Exchange Points serve as hubs where networks converge, facilitating direct interconnection and eliminating unnecessary detours, which results in lower latency, enhanced Internet performance, and increased reliability for end-users.

The expansion of these facilities is fundamental to expanding Internet services and solutions to all parts of Africa. Internet Exchange Points help in facilitating large-scale network interconnections and the exchange of traffic, creating a source of fast, local, and

As the number of Internet Exchange Points increase on the continent, the more networks become interconnected.

There are also additional benefits too:

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