The London Internet Exchange (LINX) has announced an expansion of its interconnection services in Kenya, adding LINX Mombasa to its global network footprint.
This development comes a year after the launch of LINX Nairobi, marking a significant extension of LINX’s presence in Kenya and strengthening its partnership with iColo, a local data center operator and part of Digital Realty.
Situated on Kenya’s coast, Mombasa serves as a vital hub for several major submarine internet cables, including 2Africa, SEACOM, TEAMS (The East African Marine System), and EASSy (Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System). These cables provide essential connectivity between Africa and other continents, positioning Mombasa as a critical digital gateway for East Africa. They serve not only Kenya but also nearby countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and even landlocked nations like South Sudan.
By enabling local peering and traffic exchange in Mombasa, LINX’s new infrastructure reduces the need for international routing that previously sent traffic to Europe and back. This shift is expected to lower latency and cut costs significantly for regional networks.
“The launch of the Mombasa IXP is a significant complement to the existing LINX IXP in Nairobi, a step that will bolster interconnection across East Africa,” said Nurani Nimpuno, LINX’s Head of Global Engagement. “Improved local traffic exchange strengthens network resilience, reduces latency, and supports a seamless digital experience. This expansion not only strengthens our partnership with iColo but also fortifies the region’s digital backbone, paving the way for greater connectivity, innovation, and economic growth.”
Mombasa has become a favored location for international content providers, cloud services, and digital infrastructure companies, with major players like Google, Akamai, and Netflix already present in the city’s data centers. Hosting this content locally is expected to enhance access speeds and reduce bandwidth costs by limiting the need to retrieve data from overseas servers.
“With over 90 networks connected at our Mombasa data centers, the addition of LINX provides our customers with a global platform to enhance interconnectivity,” noted Ranjith Cherickel, Founder and CEO of iColo. “This collaboration with LINX allows our customers to peer at global locations, including Nairobi, strengthening worldwide connectivity.”
The new Mombasa Internet Exchange Point (IXP) will be housed at iColo’s MBA2 facility. With LINX’s interconnected setup, it will offer enhanced interconnection options for the region.
Expected to launch in early Q1 2025, LINX Mombasa will be equipped with Nokia technology and 100G ports, mirroring the technical setup of LINX Nairobi from day one. LINX members globally, including those connected to LINX Nairobi, will have access to a 10G port with 1Gbps of peering service at no additional cost as part of LINX’s membership package.
