MainOne, one of Africa’s leading undersea telecoms cable companies, has reiterated its  commitment to the growth of the internet in Africa by successfully hosting the 12th edition of the African Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF) in Accra, Ghana last week. The event, co-hosted by the Internet Society (ISOC) and the African IXP Association (AFIX), drew an impressive gathering of global and local industry leaders, regulators and stakeholders advancing Africa’s digital landscape and strengthening connectivity across the continent.

Emmanuel Kwarteng, Ghana’s Country Manager, MainOne, an Equinix Company, emphasized the significance of AfPIF 2023 in fostering collaborations across Africa’s digital ecosystem. “In an era of rapid technological advancement, the Internet and content have emerged as two major pillars of modern society, transcending geographical boundaries and revolutionizing the way we do business, communicate, learn, and interact with the world around us,” stated Kwarteng. “We cannot overemphasize the critical role that peering plays in enhancing the reach, reliability, and efficiency of this new digital lifestyle. By collaborating with the Internet Society on the shared vision of an inclusive and interconnected internet society for the continent, we believe that the transformative partnerships formed here will drive value for a more connected Africa.”

Distinguished speakers at the event included Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Ghana’s Minister of Communications and Digitization; Prof. Eser Osie-Yeboah Boateng, Deputy Director General of the National Communication Authority, Ghana; and Prof Nii Quaynor, widely known as the Father of Ghana’s internet. The Minister emphasized the need of a robust peering and interconnection ecosystem for the efficient operation of the country’s digital initiatives. “This will permit local traffic and promote ICT, which is crucial for any nation wishing to participate fully in the global Internet economy. It will enhance the end-user experience, bring down access costs, and encourage the growth of regional internet ecosystems,” noted the Minister. She also highlighted the importance of supporting the aggregation of internet traffic at interconnection hubs across Africa, which would attract international operators to establish their points of presence (POPs) in the West African region. 

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MainOne’s role as the host of AfPIF 2023 and its active commitment in fostering interconnections align with its broader mission of driving digital transformation across West Africa. This commitment was further solidified as the Ghana Internet Exchange (GIX) and MainOne, an Equinix Company Ghana, firmed up their partnership with an announcement of the extension of the GIX network to the MDXi Appolonia Data Center at the event. MainOne continues to lead with investments in infrastructural development and new Data Center builds across the West African region and is set to launch a new data center in Cote d’Ivoire before the end of this year.

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