The Eastern Cape is getting its own internet exchange point (IXP). INX-ZA, backed by the Internet Service Providers’ Association, has launched the Nelson Mandela Bay IXP, or NMBInx in Gqeberha.

INX-ZA operates Internet exchanges in Cape Town (Cinx), Durban (Dinx), Johannesburg (Jinx) – and now NMBInx. Jinx was the first, launched in the early days of the commercial internet all the way back in 1996.

The Gqeberha IXP is in a Dimension Data facility in the suburb of Newton Park and will be fully operational within the next month. This region has a history of outages due to multiple simultaneous backhaul failures

The facility offers “network operators in the Eastern Cape region the opportunity to improve their internet connectivity and performance by connecting to other local networks, content providers and cloud service providers through a single peering point”.

“This will result in faster and more efficient routing of traffic, reduced latency, and improved network resilience. This region has a history of outages due to multiple simultaneous backhaul failures and this development should hopefully lessen the impact of such network disruptions.” 

Read also Proparco Invests $5M in DisrupTech to Fund Egyptian Fintech Startups

INX-ZA explained that from next month, if a consumer is making use of a service provider based in Gqeberha, instead of the content being “backhauled” all the way from Johannesburg, it can be served locally. “The ISP saves on costs, and this could be passed on to the consumer.”

To promote interconnection in the region, INX-ZA has waived port fees and the co-location facility has waived monthly recurring fees for cross-connects.

“Sustained investment in the country’s internet exchanges has meant that South Africa today is much less reliant on international transit,” INX-ZA said.  

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry