Indications have emerged showing that Africans are beginning to adopt the position of the chief executive of the leading cable group, MainOne, Ms. Funke Opeke, who recently challenged the continent to work towards domesticating its internet exchange points and end Europe routing spree.
An Internet exchange point (IXP) is a physical infrastructure that allows several Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and network operators to exchange traffic between their networks, generally referred to as autonomous systems, by means of mutual peering agreements, which allow traffic to be exchanged at no cost.
Opeke had at a forum argued that among the best bet for more earnings in the industry and seamless data business will be to drive a continental exchange point so as to detach the surging capital flights recorded while routing through Europe.
The idea was however, initiated recently as the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) has provided link with Ghana Internet Exchange Point thereby making it the first of such interconnection in the sub-region.
On how this feat was realized, managing director of IXPN, Mohammed Rudman, revealed that the link between Nigeria Internet exchange point and Ghana Internet exchange point was achieved not so long ago.
According to him, with the interconnection of the two exchanges, internet traffic among the two countries will now be exchanged locally without it having to go to Europe and come back.
He averred that “The linking of Nigeria Internet Exchange with Ghana’s Internet Exchange will save the two countries foreign exchange and cost as internet traffic between internet service providers in the two countries will be exchanged within the region as against the previous situation when such traffic will have to go to Europe before coming back to the region”.
“This was achieved as a result of a well-articulated growth strategy and vision to be the leading IXP in Africa and a one stop company to service and content providers across Nigeria and beyond,” Rudman added.
Medallion Data centre is hosting the server designated for the link on Nigeria side while National Information Technology Agency of Ghana Data centre is hosting the country’s side of the server.
