Telecom
Africa’s Internet Exchange Points See Growth – Internet Society
The number of internet exchange points (IXPs) established on the African continent has grown from 19 in 2012, to 46 in 2020.
This indicates a 58% increase over the past few years, according to the Internet Society’s latest report, titled “Moving Toward an Interconnected Africa: The 80/20 Initiative”.
While IXPs were founded in 1996, global non-profit organisation the Internet Society notes the burst of activity started in 2011, continuing over the last few years.
The organisation emphasises that IXPs enable the local exchange of internet traffic instead of using expensive international transit routes. This not only makes internet access much more affordable, it also improves the quality of access by providing more direct network connections, it notes.
The latest report, which examines Africa’s internet ecosystem and current status of IXPs, shows the significant gains made in advancing IXPs on the continent between 2012 and 2020.
It states there is a boom in this type of internet infrastructure development on the continent, with more than half of African countries with an IXP. Six countries – Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania – have more than one IXP.
Similarly, the presence of international content delivery networks has significantly increased, along with locally-developed content, it states.
Dawit Bekele, Africa regional vice-president for the Internet Society, explains: “Thanks to the continued work with partners over the years, we have many more sustainable IXPs that exchange a considerable amount of internet traffic in Africa. But there’s still work to do to ensure more internet traffic is exchanged on the continent.
“A key success factor for IXPs is that governments understand the value that internet infrastructure provides, which encourages the adoption of policies and regulations that enable internet ecosystems to thrive,” adds Bekele.
The report notes that in 2012, in Kenya and Nigeria, approximately 30% of each country’s traffic was localised. However, this had significantly shifted by 2020.
“Between 2012 and 2020, both Kenya and Nigeria moved from the cusp of stage two, with 30% localised traffic, to the cusp of stage three, with 70% localised traffic. South Africa is the only country in Africa currently in stage three.
“Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa also have the only IXPs in the region comprising 50 or more connected networks. The number of members at an IXP is a strong indicator of the health of a country’s Internet ecosystem – both that there are so many networks and that they are all connected to the IXP.”
South Africa is the nation with the most developed internet ecosystem in Africa, based on the Internet Society’s review of all the countries in Africa with IXPs.
The report shows SA has achieved the goal of at least 80% localised traffic, followed by Kenya and Nigeria. “These countries have the most interconnected networks and have succeeded in exchanging 70-80% of their traffic locally.”
For its report, the organisation says it identified three stages of development, depending on the level of localised traffic, and driven by connections between and among internet service providers and content providers.
Based on the internet ecosystem stages of development, stage one refers to when the IXP is mainly used to exchange local traffic between local access providers; it localises up to approximately 30% of total traffic.
In terms of stage two, international content is made available locally, attracted by the IXP and its member networks. This stage localises approximately 30% to 70% of total traffic.
In stage three, the Internet Society notes that local content is hosted locally, rather than in data centres located abroad. This particular stage localises 70% or more of total traffic.
Telecom
PMCRG Invokes FoI, Asks NCC to Disclose Findings on Telecoms Competition Landscape
Pervasive and Mobile Computing Research Group (PMCRG), a specialised research arm within Obafemi Awolowo University’s (OAU) Africa Centre of Excellence (ACE) ICT-Driven Knowledge Park, has formally requested the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to release findings of a 2022 study on the telecommunications competition landscape in Nigeria.
Prof. Adeniran Oluwaranti, coordinator, PMCRG, in a statement, said that the request was made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI), which underscores PMCRG’s commitment to driving transparency and innovation in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving ICT sector.
According to Prof Adeniran, the NCC engaged the globally renowned consulting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), in 2022 to assess competition in the critical areas of collocation and infrastructure sharing (CIS) within the telecom industry.
However, despite the completion of the study, its findings have not yet been made public.
Oluwaranti led PMCRG, is seeking access to this report to support academic research, policy formation, and industry-wide innovations.
Oluwaranti explained the importance of the report and how the lack of transparency could slow progress in the telecom industry.
“The findings of the 2022 NCC study have the potential to impact both consumers and businesses significantly. For consumers, the report could shed light on the level of competition in the telecom market, helping regulators ensure fair pricing and service quality.
“For businesses, the study could identify new opportunities for infrastructure sharing and improved market access.
“Ultimately, this report could lead to policy decisions that shape the future of Nigeria’s telecom landscape, ensuring that it remains competitive and innovative,” said Prof. Oluwaranti.
Oluwaranti, expressed optimism about the release of the report.
“We are hopeful that the NCC will adhere to the FOI request and release the report. Transparency is key to fostering an innovative and competitive telecommunications sector. We believe that having access to this data will benefit not only the academic community but also the entire country by promoting evidence-based policy making,”.
“The CIS segment is crucial to fostering competition in Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape. With the report’s findings, give stakeholders a clearer understanding of the current competitive landscape, the challenges, and the growth opportunities. This is vital not only for improving regulatory frameworks but also for driving innovation in areas like 5G/6G networks, cybersecurity, and rural connectivity”, the statement reads.
Telecom
NCC Plans 6G Spectrum Deployment to Expand Wi-Fi Access
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced plans to deploy the 6G spectrum in Nigeria to enhance access to Wi-Fi technology.
Speaking on Thursday at a consultative forum on emerging technologies in Lagos, Aminu Maida, executive vice-chairman of the NCC, highlighted the need for efficient management and utilisation of spectrum resources.
The event, tagged ‘The Use of 6GHz (5925-7125) MHz for WiFi and IMT Applications in Nigeria’, sought input from stakeholders on how the new frequency band can be optimally used.
Maida, represented by Abraham Oshadami, executive commissioner of technical services at the NCC, explained that existing spectrums, including 5G and 2G, are becoming congested due to increasing demand, necessitating the introduction of additional frequency bands such as 6GHz.
“The 6GHz band offers a substantial increase in available spectrum, crucial for supporting the growing demand for high-speed internet and advanced applications,” Maida said.
“Wi-Fi plays a crucial role in the distribution of fixed broadband connectivity in homes, offices, and various other environments.”
Maida further explained that with Wi-Fi 6, users will benefit from increased capacity, enabling seamless connectivity for emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), which current spectrums cannot fully support.
He added that the introduction of unlicensed Wi-Fi 6 will lower the cost of internet access.
Caroline Alenoghena, a telecommunications engineering professor at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, stated that the introduction of the new spectrum is necessary to reduce congestion in existing Wi-Fi frequencies.
She noted that the 6G band would create new opportunities for start-ups in the digital services sector.
Tony Emoekpere, president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), emphasized that the proper allocation of the 6G spectrum would enable the deployment of diverse technologies and help democratise access to urban, semi-rural, and rural areas.
He said, “Foreseeable challenges are things like infrastructure requirements, the whole of investment that’s required, competing technologies, because some of these technologies are still being developed.”
Emoekpere described the consultative forum as standard practice in the industry to ensure that all stakeholders are involved in the development of new technologies and policies.
Telecom
IFC, Airtel Africa Partner to Increase Access to High-speed Mobile Connectivity in sub-Saharan Africa
IFC has provided new financing to three of Airtel Africa plc’s subsidiaries with the aim of bringing high-speed mobile connectivity to more than 37 million subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa.
IFC’s $200 million loan will support the expansion and modernization of Airtel Africa’s network, as well as further investment into its distribution infrastructure, with a continued focus on rural areas.
Across Africa, approximately 600 million people lack access to 4G mobile coverage. In many countries across sub-Saharan Africa, the availability of mobile internet, and network performance, are below regional averages.
Despite this connectivity gap, up to 86 percent of firms on the continent use mobile phones for business operations, according to IFC’s recent report on digital connectivity in Africa. IFC’s financing is intended to help close this gap.
The new financing will take the form of a sustainability-linked loan, with key performance indicators related to the main pillars of Airtel Africa’s sustainability strategy: digital connectivity focused on smartphone adoption rates, financial inclusion for women, and gender balance within Airtel Africa’s own management team.
These three metrics will contribute to bridging the digital divide in Africa and support the equitable distribution of economic opportunities, poverty reduction, and financial stability across the continent. Most of the financing package is denominated in local currency, which IFC is providing to reduce the impact of currency volatility.
“IFC’s partnership with Airtel is critical to expanding high-speed connectivity in Africa,” said Mary Porter Peschka, IFC’s Regional Director for Eastern Africa. “Better connectivity means more opportunity. Our work with Airtel will help millions more people not only to come online but also gain access to high-speed networks so that they can better leverage the digital economy opportunities.”
With limited banking infrastructure in East Africa, mobile network operators are, in many cases, the only providers of financial services for consumers in these markets. In particular, women are especially reliant on this form of mobile banking.
Increasing digital connectivity is therefore a way to increase financial and gender inclusion.
Airtel Africa intends to partner with local and regional financial institutions to further enhance the mobile money eco-system by providing additional financial services to all customers across the region, further enabling the economic empowerment of women.
Airtel Africa’s Group CEO, Sunil Taldar said: “The expansion of our network is critical to our ambition of bridging the digital divide across Africa. This ambition can only be unlocked through continued investment into the region, and we welcome the partnership with IFC to enable this and further support our sustainability strategy of transforming lives and building better futures for communities across Africa.”
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