Internet exchange point opened in Swaziland

15 Apr 2014

Late last week saw the African Union Commission (AUC) launch the internet exchange point (IXP) in Swaziland which will contribute to bringing efficiency in the routing of intra-country internet traffic and hence faster and more secure exchange of intra-country internet traffic.

Internet exchange point opened in Swaziland

The IXP was launched through the Infrastructure and Energy Department, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology of the Kingdom of Swaziland and Internet Society (ISOC).

Through the African Internet Exchange System (AXIS) project, the African Union Commission has so far extended capacity building support to facilitate the establishment of IXPs in 24 Member States including Swaziland. The capacity building support facilitated the setting up of the necessary structures and prepared network engineers with the technical skills to interconnect their networks to the IXP.

Equipment, services donated

In addition to the capacity building support, the AU has so far donated equipment and services to set up and launch the IXPs in Namibia, Burundi and Swaziland. The total cost of the support extended to realise each IXP is $63,000. The Kingdom of Swaziland is the third Member State to launch the IXP with the support of the African Internet Exchange System Project of the AU.

"It has been a long road travelled together with the African Union Commission towards what we are here about today - our national IXP. The African Union Commission has indeed proved to be a real mother to the nations on the African Continent by pioneering the African Internet Exchange System Project which has helped countries to establish their own IXPs" says Hon. Dumisani C. Ndlangamandla, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology.

"While the launch of the IXP is a welcome and laudable development towards our efforts to reduce cost and inefficiency associated with routing of the continent's internet traffic through overseas carriers, we are still at the very early stage of harnessing the potential of IXPs in Africa. It is in this regard that the African Union Commission plans issue a request for proposals to select internet exchange points to be supported to grow into regional IXPs" says Moctar Yedaly, Head of Information Society Division, African Union Commission.