The African Internet Exchange System project will lower internet costs by supporting the establishment of National Internet Exchange Points and Regional Internet Exchange Points in Africa.
African Union Commission (AUC) Acting Head of the Information Society Division Christian Minoungou told a regional forum in Nairobi that Africa is currently paying overseas carriers to exchange intra-Africa internet traffic.
“This is a costly and inefficient way of handling inter-country exchange of Internet traffic,” Minoungou said during the AU- Eastern Africa Regional Interconnection Policy and Regulatory Workshop.
The two-day event is aimed at formulating a regional cross- border interconnection policy framework.
The event drew participants from 12 countries including Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
“It is therefore in the interest of all African countries to find ways of optimizing internet traffic and create opportunities for AU citizens,” Minoungou said.
The AUC signed a financing agreement to support implementation of the African Internet Exchange System project with funding from the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund and Luxembourg.
In 2010, the AU Assembly adopted a declaration that undertook to strengthen regional cooperation for the development and interconnection of broadband infrastructures.
The AU has so far provided capacity building to support the establishment of national internet exchange points in 30 member states.
“The support facilitated the setting up of the necessary management structures and prepared engineers with the technical skills to interconnect their networks to the internet exchange point,” he said.
East Africa Community Organization (EACO) Executive Secretary Hodge Semakula said the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) landscape is being heavily impacted by ongoing digital revolution.
He said the ICT sector has witnessed a surge in demand for connected devices, which has transformed the socio-economic future of many countries.
“This situation has been complicated further by the changing needs and demands by consumers for high speed broadband services,” he said.
Currently, the East African Community (EAC) is implementing the East African Broadband Information Network, which is intended to achieve national and cross border broadband connectivity within the region.
Ministry of ICT Principal Secretary Joseph Tiampati said Kenya has witnessed exponential growth over the past 15 years, adding that the growth is being catapulted by the rapid adoption of broadband service.
“Online services such as e-government services, e-commerce, e- banking, e-learning, and e-health are some of the areas that are increasing becoming the movers of the economy,” Tiampati said.
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Quelle/Source: Coastweek, 07.11.2014
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