Internet Exchange Point Association of Namibia

The Namibia Internet Exchange Point (NIXP) is situated in Windhoek, hosted at the Telecom Namibia Data Centre. It serves as a platform for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), educational institutions, and financial organizations to connect with each other and exchange local web traffic. The primary purpose of NIXP is to foster a domestic Internet ecosystem, achieving the following objectives: 1.Retaining local Internet traffic within our national infrastructure to reduce exchange costs between networks. 2.Enhancing the quality of Internet services by minimizing latency and enhancing the end-user experience. 3.Cultivating a local Internet economy. 4.Encouraging collaboration among service providers. 5.Attracting businesses, customers, and content service providers. Since its establishment in 2014, NIXP has grown to include approximately 11 active peering members, with additional potential members waiting to join. NIXP was initiated with government involvement and support but does not rely on government subsidies. It operates under a Non-Profit ECNS license classification from CRAN since 2019.Notably, government agencies have not yet engaged in peering at the IXP. The IXP's fundamental policies encompass aspects such as: 1.Connectivity to the IXP, including the costs and deployment responsibilities, which are the responsibilities of peering members. 2.Membership fees, which comprise a one-time setup fee and annual fees. 3.Membership criteria, requiring entities to possess an Autonomous System (AS) Number, IP blocks (IPv4/IPv6), and the necessary licensing to operate as a network operator. The current technical model of our IXP is a Layer 2 Model, characterized by its affordability and minimal technical expertise requirement.In this setup, all members are linked to a Layer 2 switch, and each member is responsible for initiating peering sessions with other members. Importantly, this model ensures that all participants are treated equally.