AFRICA APAC EUROPE MIDDLE EAST NORTH AMERICA

One year on from the launch of its first Internet Exchange Point ( IXP ) on the continent , LINX Nairobi , the global interconnection service provider will be extending not only its Kenyan footprint but also its partnership with local data centre operator iColo : A Digital Realty Company .

Mombasa is home to several major submarine Internet cables , including 2Africa , SEACOM , TEAMS ( The East African Marine System ) and EASSy ( Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System ). These cables serve as critical links between Africa and the rest of the world , providing high-capacity , low-latency connectivity across continents .

The strategic coastal location makes Mombasa the digital gateway for East

Africa . It not only serves Kenya but also provides critical Internet traffic infrastructure for neighbouring countries such as Uganda , Tanzania , Rwanda and even landlocked nations like South Sudan .

By facilitating local peering and traffic exchange , Mombasa ’ s infrastructure reduces reliance on international routing , which previously would require traffic to be sent to Europe and back . This is expected to lower latency and significantly reduces costs for networks .

LINX Head of Global Engagement , Nurani Nimpuno , said : “ The launch of the Mombasa IXP is a significant complement to the existing LINX IXP in Nairobi , a step that will bolster interconnection across East Africa . Improved efficient local traffic exchange enhances network resilience , reduces latency and supports a seamless digital experience . This expansion strengthens not only our partnership with iColo , but the region ’ s digital backbone , as we work together to pave the way for greater connectivity , innovation and economic growth .”

Several international content providers , cloud services and digital infrastructure companies have a presence in Mombasa ’ s data centres . These include global giants such as Google , Akamai and Netflix . By hosting popular content locally , the need to retrieve it from overseas servers will be reduced , which is expected to dramatically improve access speeds and significantly reduce bandwidth costs .

“ With over 90 networks connected at our data centre campuses in Mombasa , the addition of LINX gives our customers a far-reaching global platform for enhancing interconnectivity . We are excited by the numerous opportunities presented by this collaboration . LINX provides an opportunity for our customers to peer at other global locations , including Nairobi , strengthening worldwide connectivity ,” said Ranjith Cherickel , Founder & CEO of iColo .

LINX Mombasa will be the first Internet Exchange Point at iColo ’ s MBA2 facility and with a physical presence in both sites and an interconnected fabric set-up , this adds a new level of interconnection services for the region .

LINX Mombasa is predicted to go live early in Q1 of 2025 and is planned to mirror the technical set-up in Nairobi , using Nokia technology to enable peering services and more on 100G ports from day one .

Existing members of LINX globally including networks connected to LINX Nairobi will be able to take a 10G port with 1Gbps of peering service with no additional costs as this is part of LINX ’ s unique membership package . x www . intelligentcxo . com

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