Meta, Google, Microsoft, others join Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria to route traffic locally

Major content distribution firms including Meta, Microsoft, and Google are now routing their traffic locally through the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN).

This is even as the IXPN crosses 100 members, which include, Internet Service Providers, Mobile Network Operators, Financial and Educational Institutions, and other IP-Centric organizations.

An Internet exchange point is a physical access point that Internet service providers (ISPs) and content delivery networks (CDNs) connect to for the purpose of exchanging traffic. The IXPN ensures that internet traffic that is being exchanged within Nigeria remains within Nigeria to keep internet traffic local.

Why it matters

• An IXP makes communications via the internet faster. For instance, without an IXP in Nigeria, an email sent from Lagos to a receiver who is also in Lagos may travel through entirely different countries, or even continents, before it lands in their inbox. This happens when the infrastructure that would allow the email to travel using the shortest route is not in place.
• IXPs help to create shorter, more direct routes for Internet traffic. They provide a more affordable alternative to sending local Internet traffic abroad, only to have to return that traffic via an international link, which can be an expensive business.
• Connecting to local IXP results in significant cost savings for the connected networks, as well as reduced latency, increased security, and increased redundancy.

What they are saying

• Speaking on the 100 members milestone, the Chief Executive Officer of IXPN, Mr. Muhammed Rudman said: “All Mobile Network Operators, major network operators in Nigeria, as well as some of the largest Content Networks such as Facebook (Meta), Google, and Microsoft, are now among the networks peering at the exchange point, which was designated as a West African regional exchange point by the African Union a few years ago.
• “Reaching the 100-member mark demonstrates the IXPN’s broader reach and excellent service delivery. The IXPN has multiple locations across Nigeria, making its services easily accessible thereby allowing local service providers to save costs through peering. In fact, we have recently seen an increase in connections from even international networks, indicating our commitment to providing excellent services with high availability,” he added.

With a single connection to any of the nine (9) IXPN sites across Nigeria, the 100 members currently connected to IXPN have direct access to each other. Five of the sites are in Lagos, with one each in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, and Kano. The Lagos POPs are all interconnected via high-capacity links and connect to the POPs in the other four cities in an effort to extend connectivity to the unserved and underserved regions in the country.