AU supports IXPN on W/African exchange point

THE African Union (AU) Commission has given its support to Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) to become the regional exchange for West Africa.

This follows the response to a call for proposals by the Commission in 2016 which  IXPN responded to and was awarded a grant to become a regional Internet Exchange for West Africa.

With many IXPs in Africa exchanging intra-country traffic locally and intra-regional traffic regionally, this will reduce the latency and save costs by eliminating transit via overseas carriers.

Through the African Internet Exchange System (AXIS), project of the AU Commission, has increased from 18  to 35.

The AU Commission provided grants to support selected internet exchange points in the five geographical regions of the AU to become regional internet exchange points one of which is XPN.

Project Manager, AXIS, Moses Bayingana, said: “Africa has been paying overseas carriers to exchange intra-continental traffic on our behalf. This is both costly as well as inefficient. With regional IXPs in Africa exchanging intra-regional traffic locally, this will reduce the latency and save costs by eliminating the international transit through overseas carriers.

“There is growing importance in exchanging traffic among the internet service providers in Africa. This is due to the fact that by connecting to the regional internet exchange point, access to local content in the region improves, since the local traffic remains in the region. This in turn enhances internet use because the end users realise fast and efficient services.”

The Chief Executive Officer, IXPN, Muhammed Rudman, said with its new status, IXPN would seek strategic alliances with other IXPs, regional carriers and service providers to connect the sub-region.

He also said the AXIS initiative has now positioned IXPN to champion a more regional connectivity drive that will ultimately lead to a One-Connected Africa.

Rudman said localising the internet within the African continent will improve quality of service as traffic will no longer travel abroad as was the case. He enjoined African countries to embrace the concept of AXIS for a better and improved connectivity for the continent.