In Africa, too much Internet traffic has to travel too far, resulting in higher costs and slower speeds. Internet exchange points (IXPs) improve Internet access by keeping local traffic localized and, because of that, faster and more affordable. To be effective, they need engineers, service providers, content developers, and policymakers who share the belief that a strong, collaborative community can leverage the Internet ecosystem to improve connectivity and increase the value of the Internet for end users.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Internet Society organized on Monday, 30 January 2023, at 14:00 UTC, a discussion on the ever-changing landscape of African interconnection and explored our new partnership to improve IXP infrastructure in Africa.
ICANN Interim President and CEO Sally Costerton, AF-IX Co-Coordinator Kyle Spencer, and our President and CEO Andrew Sullivan shared their thoughts about the future of peering and interconnection in Africa and how our partnership could help users across the continent.