London internet exchange, LINX, has recently announced a new strategic partnership with IXAfrica, a Nairobi-based data centre provider, to launch a new interconnection hub for Kenya and East Africa.
The new hub, named LINX Nairobi, will be LINX’s first physical presence in Africa, and the first interconnected, multi-site internet exchange point (IXP) in the region. LINX Nairobi aims to provide the region with future-proof interconnection solutions for global networks, with the ability to scale alongside Kenya’s fast-growing digital landscape.
The new hub will offer resilience for networks peering there, and will also enable low latency routes to and from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. LINX Nairobi will be fully supported by LINX’s world-class engineering team and 24/7 NOC, and existing LINX members will also be able to add this new location using the member portal
It will be deployed from the new IXAfrica data centre in Nairobi, which is the largest data hub in East Africa, and is specifically designed to cater for hyperscalers and deliver hyper-cloud services.
LINX Nairobi will also be accessible from other data centre locations in Nairobi, such as iColo, the Digital Realty company that operates carrier-neutral data centres in Kenya and Africa Data Centres, a business of Cassava Technologies group, which are also strategic partners of LINX.
Commenting on the Nairobi launch, Nurani Nimpuno, Head of Global Engagement for LINX said, “I feel very proud to have led on this exciting new venture for LINX in Kenya and the welcome we have received from local stakeholders has been very supportive. We can learn a lot from the country’s technical advancements, for example their adoption of M-PESA with Safaricom, taking Kenya strides ahead in the way of digital finance innovation compared to other countries. I strongly believe LINX Nairobi can only compliment and continue to grow the ecosystem in Kenya.”
She added: “At LINX we depend on our data centre partners, fibre providers, ISPs and content providers, customers, and other partners, and we come together to enable each other. But it is when we work together and complement each other’s strengths that we become successful.”
LINX Nairobi is set to go live in the coming weeks, and has already attracted interest from national and international networks, such as CMC Networks, a leading global lje telecommunications service provider that operates in over 50 African countries.
Moreover, LINX Nairobi is part of LINX’s global expansion strategy, which aims to bring its expertise and experience to new markets and regions, and to support the growth and development of the internet ecosystem worldwide.
