The African Union Launches Internet Exchange Point in Swaziland: “Contributing to a faster, more secure and affordable Internet in Africa”
The African Union Commission (AUC), 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) launched the Internet Exchange Point in Swaziland.
The Internet Exchange Point in Swaziland 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.
Through the African Internet Exchange System (AXIS) project, the African Union Commission has so far extended capacity building support to facilitate the establishment of internet exchange points 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 internet exchange point.
In addition to the capacity building support, the AU has so far donated equipment and services to set up and launch the Internet Exchange Points in Namibia, Burundi and Swaziland. The total cost of the support extended to realize each internet exchange point is USD 63,000. The Kingdom of Swaziland is the third Member State to launch the Internet Exchange Point 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 internet exchange point (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 internet exchange points” said Hon. Dumisani C. Ndlangamandla, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology.
“I find it proper to implore the committee and all the stakeholders to treat this gift from the African Union Commission with utmost attention and care. This is a gift to Government, to you stakeholders who are the primary users and to the whole Swazi Nation, added the Hon. Minister.”
“While the launch of the internet exchange point 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 Internet Exchange Points 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 internet exchange points” said Mr. Moctar Yedaly, Head of Information Society Division, African Union Commission.
The launch was also attended by Mr. Michuki Mwangi from the Internet Society and attended by Senior Government Officials and Leaders of the Industry.
