Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria

Organisations that connect their networks to an IXP benefits from reduced reliance on expensive international transit for exchanging local traffic between themselves, and improved efficiency of their operations and communications. Not only will this reduce transport costs and network latency, but will also ensure faster access to local content because local traffic is exchanged locally, rather than through one or more 3rd party networks including international links. This exchange of traffic between networks at an IXP is known as ‘peering’ . The IXPN is expected to yield the following results: Immediate drop in connectivity costs as well as cost savings in millions of dollars in offshore internet bandwidth payments ; Improved security profile of Nigerian internet traffic by ensuring that only international traffic leaves Nigeria; Immediate drop in latency from 900 milliseconds to 30 milliseconds for local content; Increased e-commerce activities, leading to reduction of cash transactions; Serve as the central point for connecting Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) towards the development of National Research and Educational Network (NREN); Local hosting (of internet content) businesses will bring more revenue opportunities to ISPs, and facilitate rapid increase in local content creation and hosting at lower cost with the attendant local skills development, employment generation and entrepreneurship; Eventually the cost of Internet would be within the reach of the average person and then to the low-end markets at the remotest parts of rural Nigeria, thereby mitigating digital divide within the country.