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
Celebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
The “Made by Africa, Loved by the World” campaign is back for its fifth year, celebrating African creativity and global influence. This year’s theme, “Where Culture Meets Connection,” highlights how social media fosters conversations around cultural moments worldwide.
The campaign features three cinematic films premiering on the Meta Africa page, showcasing the groundbreaking work and personal stories of six dynamic African creatives.
These artists, from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, represent diverse disciplines, including rap, animation, dance, photography, fashion, and videography.
Here are some of the featured talents:
- Ladipoe (Nigeria) – A BET-nominated rapper known for blending global hip-hop with African rhythms.
- Fatboy Animations (Kenya) – An animation studio founded by Michael Muthiga, recognized by Forbes for its original African storytelling.
- Lisa Quama (Ghana) – A dancer who gained fame after appearing in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video.
- Gilbert Asante (Ghana) – A photographer and creative director featured in GQ and Glam Africa.
- David Tlale (South Africa) – A fashion designer whose bold designs have been showcased at major fashion events, including the Met Gala.
- Ofentse Mwase (South Africa) – A filmmaker with over 24 international awards for his unique visual storytelling.
Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director for Africa, Middle East & Turkey, emphasized that the campaign not only celebrates individual success stories but also showcases how culture and social media drive meaningful connections and inspiration.
Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has raised the alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Mr Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON in a statement said that the fuel supply disruption is critically affecting telecom base stations, pushing them to the brink of a shutdown and threatening millions of mobile and internet users in the region.
“This strike, which stems from the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State, has effectively halted all truck loading operations and fuel movements,” Emoekpere stated.
He explained that diesel supply to telecom infrastructure has been severely impacted, leaving critical sites with dangerously low fuel levels.
According to him, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could escalate into a full-blown network blackout, disrupting essential services, including mobile and internet access, business operations, emergency response systems, and daily communications.
ATCON has called on the governors of Lagos and Ogun states to intervene immediately by facilitating the release of diesel from depots to telecom operators to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“This is not just a telecom issue—it is a national emergency that could cripple economic activities and compromise public safety,” Emoekpere stressed.
The association also appealed to security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis swiftly to safeguard Nigeria’s connectivity and economic stability.
ATCON emphasised that a prolonged disruption in fuel supply to telecom infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for both businesses and individuals who rely on stable communication networks for daily operations.
In 2023, Nigerians spent a total of about ₦5.3 trillion on telecommunications services, which includes calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services, according to the Leadership.
Specifically for voice calls, Nigerians made approximately 408.5 billion minutes of local calls, generating around ₦3.28 trillion from outgoing calls and ₦3.23 trillion from incoming calls, totaling about ₦6.51 trillion in call-related revenue according to projections based on 2023 call volumes and tariff data.
However, the ₦5.3 trillion figure represents the overall telecom sector revenue, with voice calls being a major component but also including data and other services.
For individual spending, MTN subscribers spent an average of ₦2,508 monthly on voice calls in 2023, showing a 14.4% increase from 2022, while Airtel customers spent about ₦1,694 monthly on voice calls.
Total telecom spending (calls, data, SMS, etc.): ₦5.3 trillion in 2023
Estimated revenue from voice calls alone: around ₦6.5 trillion based on call minutes and tariffs
Average monthly spending on calls per subscriber: ₦1,694 to ₦2,508 depending on the network
Toll Collection on Lagos-Calabar Highway Begins December
NGX Clears Fidelity Bank MD of Insider Trading Allegations
CBN Introduces AML to Fight Financial Terrorism, Gives Banks Deadline
Peter Obi Denies Secret Meeting with Tinubu over Fidelity Bank
Luft Pay TV Launches in Lagos, Promises to Revolutionize Entertainment
E-Financial2 days agoCBN Introduces AML to Fight Financial Terrorism, Gives Banks Deadline
Telecom2 days agoCelebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
E-Financial2 days agoPeter Obi Denies Secret Meeting with Tinubu over Fidelity Bank
Broadcasting2 days agoLuft Pay TV Launches in Lagos, Promises to Revolutionize Entertainment
E-Financial2 days agoPremiumTrust Bank Reassures Customers of Continued Security after Cyberattack Foil
E-Financial2 days agoFidelity Bank’s N10.5tr assets base reinforces stakeholders’ confidence -Insiders bid for more equity stakes
E-Business2 days agoINEC Sets Up AI Division to Strengthen Electoral System
General News2 days agoOver 250,000 Cyberattacks Disguised as Anime – Report