AFR-IX telecom partners Asteroid Mombasa IXP to improve connectivity in the East African subregion

AFR-IX telecom, a global Internet service provider operating in more than 50 countries in Africa that delivers data and Internet services for businesses, international carriers and telecom operators, is expanding its peer-to-peer network with an agreement with Asteroid Internet Exchange Point (IXP).

AFR-IX thus reinforces its Pan-African Network, which currently has four IXPs or Internet exchange points in Africa: NAPAfrica (South Africa), IXPN (Nigeria), DjIX (Djibouti) and the recent addition of Asteroid IXP, located in Mombasa (Kenya). The activation of this last IXP in Kenya is strategic for the company, as it facilitates peering Kenyan ISPs as well as international networks, thus reinforcing connectivity in the Eastern sub-region of the continent in a location, Mombasa, which is set to become a major gateway for submarine fiber optic cables and is already emerging as one of the main hubs for Internet traffic in East Africa.

As Louis Carver, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at AFR-IX telecom, points out, Asteroid IXP reinforces the company’s strong network of peerings, IXP connections that are a guarantee to meet the needs of each customer:

Our peering policy places us (AS 60171) at multiple and major internet exchanges in Europe, North America and firmly in Africa. Today, we have added the Asteroid IX in Mombasa to our already growing peering community across the continent. As part of our extensive resilient and robust African network coverage, we at AFR-IX Telecom, have the capability to provide a global ICT offer, focusing on our very local and regional customers’ requirements.

Louis Carver, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at AFR-IX telecom

Asteroid Mombasa IXP presents itself as a valuable partner for East Africa. In just one year of operation, it has connected more than 15 networks of all sizes and origins: Kenyan ISPs, content providers and networks operating in Mauritius and Rwanda.

It cannot be overlooked that, thanks to IXP connections, end users experience reduced traffic costs and improved routing routes resulting in better network performance. In Africa, improved connectivity requires a strong peering network such as that provided by AFR-IX telecom and its Pan-African Network, which offers a sort of Internet Exchange Point “triangle” to cover a large part of the African continent: Nigeria (West sub-region) – South Africa (South sub-region) – Djibouti + Kenya (East sub-region).