KENYA – Global broadband connectivity provider AFR-IX telecom has signed a peering deal with Asteroid Mombasa IXP to boost its network in Africa.
Asteroid Mombasa IXP is a major gateway for submarine fibre optic cables and is on the verge of becoming one of the main hubs for Internet traffic in East Africa.
“Today, we have added Mombasa-based Asteroid IXP to our already growing peering community across the continent as part of our extensive resilient and robust African network coverage, we can provide a global ICT offering, focusing on the needs of our local and regional customers,” said Louis Carver, AFR-IX telecom’s chief commercial officer.
AFR-IX telecom’s agreement with Asteroid IXP comes against the backdrop of the growing demand for broadband connectivity across the continent.
We are very proud to deploy an exchange point in Kenya,” said Remco van Mook, CEO of Asteroid.
“Mombasa is the perfect place to interconnect the whole region, and the carrier-neutral icolo facilities are world class. There is a tremendous need for modern, well-run, cost effective IXPs in Africa. The Asteroid IXP will not only provide modern interconnection, but it will also contribute to improved Internet accessibility, lower costs and better Internet performance for Internet users in region.”
‘’We have added Mombasa-based Asteroid IXP to our already growing peering community across the continent as part of our extensive resilient and robust African network coverage, we can provide a global ICT offering, focusing on the needs of our local and regional customers”
Louis Carver – Chief Commercial Officer, AFR-IX Telecom
According to Ericsson, in its “Mobility Report June 2020,” new uses, driven by the Internet of Things, streaming video, online gaming, etc. will contribute to a 28% increase in mobile data traffic in sub-Saharan Africa from 2019 to 2025.
AFR-IX telecom, which is already connected to Internet exchange points in South Africa, Nigeria, and Djibouti, sees the addition of Asteroid IXP – through which more than 15 East African telecom operators and Internet service providers share traffic – as a strategic move that will enable it to increase its connectivity offering.
According to Asteroid, the IXP already has the likes of Facebook and Google present as well as several local Kenyan and African networks.
Situated at icolo’s carrier-neutral facility in Mombasa, the Asteroid IXP will help to improve internet connectivity in East Africa and support the region’s digital growth.
The icolo data center in Mombasa already welcomes all major subsea cables into the region. As it is already attracting many local, regional, and international, the addition of the Asteroid IXP positions Mombasa as the largest regional internet hub in East Africa.
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