20 ISPs route for Nigeria Internet Exchange point

Estimated 20 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have expressed interest in hooking on to the Nigeria Internet Exchange point.

Chairman, Presidential Committee on Nigeria Internet Exchange Point, Mr. Ndukwe Kalu said that over 20 ISPs are waiting to be connected to the exchange.

He also said that this would be finalised as soon as the exchange is commissioned.

Noteworthy is that the federal government had early 2006 inaugurated a committee led by Mr. Kalu to establish seven various exchanges in phases within the Internet Exchange Nigeria (IXN) as it was finally registered.

Out of the total, three of the branches would be hosted in Lagos as the commercial nerve centre of the nation’s economy, namely at Ikeja, Victoria Island while the main branch is located at the NECOM House, Marina Lagos.

An Internet Exchange Point (IXP) is a facility operated by a single entity to facilitate the exchange of Internet traffic between three or more Internet Service Providers (ISPs) according to experts at internetpolicy.net.

NIXP is expected to build seven exchanges in phases beginning with main-branch at NECOM House Lagos, and additional two sites at Ikeja and Victoria Island, as contained in its reference during inauguration last April 14, by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Our investigations also revealed that already seven ISPs have been linked to the exchange while the over 20 yearning for connection would be included as soon as the exchange is commissioned and new board inaugurated for interim management of IXN.

Some of those on the exchange presently include Disc Communications, Medallion, Tara Systems, Netcom Africa, Cyberspace, Linkserve and Amsco.

Mr. Kalu who is also the Vice President of the ISPs Association of Nigeria (ISPAN), said that he looks forward to the inauguration, just as he expect the incoming board members to fully take control of activities of IXN, especially by expanding on its mandate through ensuring that the remaining branches come to fruition at the earliest time.

He stressed his committee’s readiness to hand over to the Interim Board, saying he does not expect them to be just partisan but assertive of the authorities given to them by the people of Nigeria to serve.

NCC inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Internet Exchange Point on April 14, 2006.

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