Teraco Data Environments, a provider of vendor-neutral data centres, has connected with the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) - an Internet hub with over 550 IP networks interconnected through it.
The direct link to Teraco's peering service NAPAfrica (effective from this month) brings Africa closer to Europe in terms of connectivity, and ultimately offers opportunities for European carriers to connect across Africa.
Lex van Wyk, CEO of Teraco Data Environments, says African Internet service providers (ISPs) will now be able to tap further into global carrier networks through vendor-neutral peering at NAPAfrica.
AMS-IX CEO Job Witteman says the connection between Teraco and AMS-IX provides opportunities through reduced rate connections to Africa and likewise from Teraco's peering point for African carriers to its own exchange.
Global connections
Van Wyk says, with the initial introduction of route servers by NAPAfrica early in 2012, there has been a subsequent overall reduction in ISP operating costs in the South African market through the simplification of the peering process. Route servers, he says, lower the barrier to entry for African ISPs that do not necessarily have the resources or hardware to manage multiple connections to numerous peers. There are over 50 peers live at NAPAfrica with access to over 21 local and international carriers.
Teraco's data centre facility already offers connectivity to major international carriers, including South Atlantic 3 cable, Seacom, West Africa Cable System and Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System mobile carriers, including Vodacom, MTN and Cell C. Local carriers include Telkom, Neotel, Broadband Infraco and Dark Fibre Africa.
Van Wyk says the Teraco environment should be attractive to international carriers looking to tap into mobile data potential on the African continent. "Peering through a vendor-neutral facility provides a simple and secure portal for international carriers to connect with African carriers and ISPs."
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