A group photo of all the participants at the the 2023 AfPIF which took place from 22 to 24 August 2023 at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, Ghana. PHOTO: AfPIF
The annual event is of paramount significance in fostering the growth and expansion of the Internet across the African continent.
This year, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will serve as the venue for Africa's longest-standing Internet development conference. Scheduled from August 20 to 24, 2024, the African Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF) will convene infrastructure, service, and content providers to explore strategies for enhancing network interconnection, reducing connectivity costs, and expanding the Internet user base in the region.
Taking place at the Hilton Hotel in Kinshasa, the event aims to equip participants with both global and regional perspectives to optimize opportunities for developing robust Internet infrastructure and affordable services across Africa. The conference is organized by the Internet Society (ISOC) and the African IXP Association (AFIX), in partnership with the Internet Service Providers Association of DRC. It is expected to attract over 500 participants from various companies across the continent and beyond, including notable organizations such as Meta, Amazon, Netflix, and Liquid Intelligent Technologies, as well as the Internet Initiative Japan Lab.
AfPIF was established to tackle the issue of Africa's local Internet traffic being predominantly exchanged outside the continent, which leads to slower speeds and higher costs. Since its inception 14 years ago, the volume of Internet traffic exchanged within Africa has surged from 160 Mbps to over 4.6 Tbps, largely due to the implementation of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs). IXPs facilitate the interconnection of private, public, and academic networks, enabling local traffic exchange. This advancement enhances service quality, makes local hosting feasible, reduces service delivery costs, and increases resilience.
Kyle Spencer, Board Chair and Executive Director of the African IXP Association (AfIX), remarked, “The Democratic Republic of Congo, with a population of 100 million and borders with nine countries as well as the Atlantic Ocean, is on the brink of a digital transformation. The development of new cross-border backbone, metro fiber, and data center infrastructure is set to connect Congo to the Internet and foster regional integration, thereby improving livelihoods, facilitating commerce, and encouraging cultural exchange.”
It is a privilege to host this year's conference. The role of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in advancing the Internet infrastructure in Africa is of paramount significance. Currently, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to three IXPs, which facilitate rapid and cost-effective Internet access for more than 30,017,072 individuals, stated Nico TSHINTU BAKAJIKA, President of the ISPA DRC.