Global broadband connectivity provider AFR-IX telecom announced on March 16 it has signed a peering deal with Asteroid Mombasa IXP to boost its network in Africa. Asteroid Mombasa IXP is a major gateway for submarine fiber optic cables and is on the verge of becoming one of the main hubs for Internet traffic in East Africa.

“Today, we have added Mombasa-based Asteroid IXP to our already growing peering community across the continent as part of our extensive resilient and robust African network coverage [...] we can provide a global ICT offering, focusing on the needs of our local and regional customers,” said Louis Carver (pictured), AFR-IX telecom's chief commercial officer.

AFR-IX telecom's agreement with Asteroid IXP comes against the backdrop of the growing demand for broadband connectivity across the continent. According to Ericsson, in its "Mobility Report June 2020," new uses, driven by the Internet of Things, streaming video, online gaming, etc. will contribute to a 28% increase in mobile data traffic in sub-Saharan Africa from 2019 to 2025.

AFR-IX telecom, which is already connected to Internet exchange points in South Africa, Nigeria, and Djibouti, sees the addition of Asteroid IXP - through which more than 15 East African telecom operators and Internet service providers share traffic - as a strategic move that will enable it to increase its connectivity offering.

Muriel Edjo