LINX Nairobi provides peering services and more utilising a neutral, multi-site interconnection fabric
The London Internet Exchange (LINX) announced it will be extending its African interconnection platform to PAIX Data Centres in Nairobi, following demand from the local networking community. Launched back in November 2023, the new Internet Exchange Point (IXP) has a “strong community” of local ISPs, global content networks and strategic partners already interconnected, and traffic is starting to build.
“We didn’t expect to be expanding the LINX Nairobi network this soon, but we like to pride ourselves in our commitment to the local community,” said LINX CCO Jennifer Holmes. “They said, we listened. By expanding the peering opportunities to the customers at PAIX we are adding value to the entire LINX Nairobi community and prospective new local and global networks who we are in talks with.”
“PAIX Data Centres is fully committed to the development of Kenya’s digital infrastructure, with support for all the latest AI hardware and software. PAIX Data Centres is invested in by Africa50, a private equity fund in which the Republic of Kenya is a shareholder,” said PAIX CEO and founder Wouter van Hulten. “We are building and operating the infrastructure to enable Africa’s digital economy, with local data centres, local teams, and world class operations, all essential ingredients for the developments that lie ahead.”
“With our cloud- and carrier-neutral facility located in the centre of the business district, we host communities of interest for the financial and content industries, so that includes financial services, advertising, broadcasting, and entertainment companies,” added PAIX DC sales manager Emmanuel Makina. “Further, the PAIX facility is a natural communications hub for Nairobi: in a very central location in Upper Hill, and next to Britam Tower where our customers can colocate their antennas for wireless connectivity to all parts of the city.”
Early demand
The team at LINX have spent a lot of time with the local engineering community and following interest from key networks located at PAIX it was decided that the infrastructure needed to grow – only nine months after launch.
PAIX Nairobi NBO-1 is located at the Britam Tower in Upper Hill, Nairobi, the central business district and a known key financial hub for East and Central Africa. Networks located at the PAIX facility in Nairobi are a single cross connect away from peering opportunities with any network present at LINX Nairobi, from global content networks like Meta to local ISPs such as ICON Fiber, Mtaani Telecom, Mymanga Networks and PepeaNet.
LINX Nairobi has a fully interconnected and dual fibre infrastructure between the data centre sites. The addition of PAIX will enhance the LINX fabric to a 4-site interconnection hub and is planned to go live in the coming weeks.
Connecting the continent
In 2023, the African IXP Association (Af-IX) counted 53 active IXPs located in 47 cities across 36 countries on the continent, according to Ecofin. According to their report: “Africa still struggles to make the Internet accessible, despite its 53 exchange points located in 36 countries” – published in January 2024 by Ecofin Pro – IXPs are today one of the major assets essential to the success of African ambitions to offer high-speed, high-quality Internet at low prices to populations who wish to benefit from the dividends of the digital economy.
The rate of Internet usage in Africa has more than doubled in ten years, according to data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Between 2013 and 2023, it increased from 16% to 37%.