Angola is improving the experience for all internet users by launching Angonix, which is a neutral Internet traffic exchange platform situated in Luanda, the capital of the country, in West Africa.
Angonix interconnects global networks, content providers and network operators to keep local traffic local and offers international content providers and networks a basis for peering on the African continent.
“Angonix is a key element of the Internet ecosystem,” says Antonio Nunes, CEO of Angola Cables, operator of Angonix. “The traffic that flows over this exchange serves all users in Angola and in the SADC (South African Development Community) region. Today, if an end user tries to access a website or content hosted outside the country, the experience is less than optimal because the latency is quite high. With Angonix, it is now different. The platform allows global content to be cached in-region and enables multiple network providers to exchange that traffic and to keep the content in-region, which greatly enhances the user experience.”
“Angonix will also guarantee non-commercial DNS services and more than 300 TLDs (Top Level Domains). The main goal is to guarantee that every member connected into the platform, will be able to benefit from lower latency and will be able to instantly access the content they are looking for,” explains Darwin Costa, Angonix project manager.
The platform was launched on March 16, 2015, and the first members in Angola are now being connected in June 2015. Angonix welcomes international service providers to the exchange, as well as global ISPs, CDNs and other network operators. The goal is to create traffic gravity and to enable peering agreements between national and international providers.
Angola Cables also manages the participation of Angola in the management and development of the West Africa Cable System (WACS) a submarine fiber cable system that connects South Africa to London with landing stations in 14 countries. The company provides the international telecommunications services to global operators to increase the interconnection between Angola and the world. Angola Cables’ two main projects are the development of two new submarine cables, the SACS (South Atlantic Cable System) that will link Luanda to Fortaleza, in Brazil, and Monet, which will link Brazil to the United States. Both cables are expected to be RFS (ready for service) in late 2016.
Staff Writer
