Internet

LINX expands its African interconnection platform to PAIX Data Centres Nairobi, enhancing peering and connectivity for Kenya’s digital growth. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The London Internet Exchange (LINX) has announced its expansion into PAIX Data Centres in Nairobi, driven by growing demand from the local networking community

LINX Nairobi, a neutral, multi-location interconnection service, provides peering options that enhance network performance, redundancy, and latency reduction. Since its launch in November 2023, this Internet Exchange Point (IXP) has rapidly attracted a robust community of local ISPs, global content providers, and key partners, with increasing traffic levels.

Following extensive engagement with the local engineering community and rising interest from PAIX networks, LINX decided to scale its infrastructure just nine months after launch.

Located in Upper Hill’s Britam Tower, PAIX Nairobi NBO-1 is situated in a major business and financial district for East and Central Africa. Networks in this facility will soon be just one cross-connection away from peering with LINX Nairobi, connecting global giants like Meta and local ISPs such as ICON Fiber, Mtaani Telecom, Mymanga Networks, and PepeaNet.

Connecting Nairobi's future

LINX Nairobi’s infrastructure, supported by dual fibre connections between data centre locations, ensures resilience and redundancy. The addition of PAIX will elevate LINX’s network to a four-site interconnection hub, with installation underway and expected to go live soon.

PAIX Data Centres’ sales manager Emmanuel Makina stated, “With our cloud- and carrier-neutral datacentre 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. The customers that host their mission critical equipment in our facility have a requirement to be online 24×7 in today’s digital economy. They all benefit from being able to connect to multiple networks, easily scale their bandwidth, reduce their connectivity costs, and have the lowest latency to their partners.”

“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,” added Makina.

Jennifer Holmes, chief commercial officer for LINX, commented, “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. 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 CEO and founder, Wouter van Hulten, emphasised their dedication to advancing Kenya’s digital infrastructure, “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. We are building and operating the infrastructure to enable Africa’s digital economy, with local datacentres, local teams, and world class operations, all essential ingredients for the developments that lie ahead. We warmly welcome LINX to the PAIX Community in Kenya.”

The teams from PAIX and LINX are available at ITW Africa in Nairobi this week to discuss network deployment strategies, peering opportunities, and much more regarding LINX Nairobi.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies upgrades its 1,300km fibre route from Mombasa to Busia, enhancing multi-terabit capacity and regional digital connectivity. (Image source: Liquid Intelligent Technologies)

In a significant development, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, part of Cassava Technologies and a leading African technology company, has upgraded its 1,300km fibre route connecting Mombasa, Kenya’s coastal city, to Busia on the Ugandan border

This upgrade brings additional multi-terabit capacity and bolsters regional resilience.

The high-speed fibre route, along with enhancements to existing routes between Kenya and Uganda, improves digital connectivity while offering greater efficiency and reliable service to multiple East African nations. Liquid’s expansion guarantees 99.99% uptime between Mombasa and the Uganda border, solidifying its position as a key player in the region’s digital transformation.

Connectivity boost

“This expansion is aligned with Liquid’s vision of a digitally connected Africa that leaves no one behind. The improved connectivity provided by this route, complementing our existing routes to the Uganda border, will support critical business sectors across the region, providing reliable, high-capacity networks essential for digital transformation and economic development. Liquid’s investment also complements the Kenyan government’s digital transformation initiatives, contributing the infrastructure and connectivity needed to develop digital superhighways and digitise services,” remarked Adil El Youssefi, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies: Rest of Africa.

Kenya is fast becoming East Africa’s digital and connectivity hub, with several undersea cable providers anchoring at Mombasa’s port. Liquid’s new fibre route enhances its terrestrial fibre infrastructure, accelerating data traffic growth and further enhancing the region’s connectivity capabilities.

Utilising advanced technology, the upgraded fibre route supports multi-terabit data transmission, making it a scalable solution for Liquid’s retail, home, enterprise, and wholesale customers. It also strategically positions Liquid’s East African operations to support international hyperscalers seeking entry into Africa, taking advantage of the continent’s growth potential.

With this increased capacity, the route enhances the resilience of both land and undersea networks, ensuring seamless service even during disruptions. Liquid’s monitoring of the route ensures continuous, uninterrupted service.

With a fibre network spanning over 110,000km, Liquid is committed to enabling a connected Africa that fosters innovation, drives economic progress, and promotes socio-economic development.

Liquid’s continuous investment in fibre infrastructure is a testament to its dedication to advancing technology and innovation across Africa, empowering communities to embrace a digital future.

The new fibre service will back-up existing connectivity services set up by the ETC since 2023. (Image source: ETC)

Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) has activated a 1Gbps undersea fibre connection in Port Sudan in support of reliable Internet connectivity to enhance communication, data exchange and overall operational efficiency across UN agencies and NGOs in Sudan

The service will initially be accessible to users in Port Sudan from September before being rolled out to key locations across the country. This advancement has recognised by ETC as a vital step forward to ensuring the safety and security of teams on the ground, allowing responders to maintain continuous communication and deliver timely assistance to those in need.

The achievement will reduce dependency on current satellite communication services and has been designed to ensure longer-term access to local services and infrastructure. It is built on joint efforts with partners and national service provider, SudaTel, to support long-term provision of services.

Hotspot Network and Solarkiosk Solutions team up to launch a joint venture, aiming to enhance solar energy and internet in rural Nigeria. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Hotspot Network, a telecom tower operator focused on the middle market in Nigeria, has partnered with Solarkiosk Solutions, a provider of off-grid solar energy across Africa

The collaboration has led to the establishment of a joint venture called Hotspot-Solarkiosk, aimed at enhancing the communication landscape in underserved regions of Nigeria.

The primary goal of this partnership is to implement technological solutions that will expand solar energy access and improve internet connectivity in rural areas.

Thomas Rieger, CEO of Solarkiosk Solutions, stated, “This collaboration will combine connectivity and essential services, transforming rural Nigeria and driving economic empowerment in off-grid communities.”

Morenikeji Aniye, CEO of Hotspot Network, noted, “This joint venture realises years of work on sustainable rural ecosystems, integrating ICT and energy access. It aims to enhance income, gender participation, and skills, marking a significant step in improving rural Nigeria’s socio-economic conditions.”

“It aims to enhance income, gender participation, and skills, marking a significant step in improving rural Nigeria’s socio-economic conditions.”