The Internet Society and African IXP Association are to hold the Africa Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF).
The annual event – which will be held in Cape Town, South Africa from August 21-23 – serves as a platform to expand and develop the African Internet.
It connects infrastructure, service and content providers with policymakers to identify and discuss ways to improve network interconnection, lower the cost of connectivity, and increase the number of users in the region.
Over 200 participants attended last year’s AfPIF in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, including providers of international, regional and sub-regional transport, transit and content, as well as more than 20 IXPs from Africa and beyond.
“The African IXP Association has been absolutely amazed by South Africa’s rapid development and is proud to host this year’s AfPIF in Cape Town,” said Kyle Spencer, Co-ordinator of the African IXP Association.
“We all benefit from their innovation and continued success and hope that our collective presence will provide additional momentum.”
ISPA Chairman Graham Beneke added: This is a fantastic example of the kind of pan-African ICT co-operation envisioned by the Abuja and OR Tambo declarations of the 1990s”
Internet Peering is a business relationship whereby two network operators agree to provide access to each other’s network at no cost.
