The Democratic Republic of Congo is moving towards a major breakthrough in the fight against the digital divide with the launch of the largest exchange point in Central Africa. The exchange point called “Africa Congo Internet Exchange” (ACIX) is the result of a strategic partnership between the NGO “Internet Pour Tous”, the German company DE-CIX and the Digital Development Agency (ADN ). This infrastructure is of great importance for African countries as it allows operators to interconnect and exchange traffic through a routing protocol. In addition, it facilitates the transmission of all types of content such as social media or video on demand.
Officially launched this Monday, May 22, 2023, the ACIX exchange point is based in Kinshasa and backed by DE-CIX, the world leader in the sector. It will thus allow the neighboring countries of the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean to be connected and provide a better experience for users. The association “Internet Pour Tous” also aims to provide a free Internet connection to thousands of schools as part of the “CAP 2030 – A multimedia computer class connected in each school in the DRC” program.
The Democratic Republic of Congo currently has three internet exchange points, an insufficient number for a country of this size. The Digital Development Agency, created by Presidential Ordinance No. 22/144 of August 29, 2022, plays a key role in setting up this infrastructure. It is closely associated with the launch of the ACIX exchange point, and its essential missions are to support the government in the implementation of the National Digital Plan, to promote the Tech ecosystem and Congolese entrepreneurs in the sector, and to fight against the digital divide in disadvantaged areas.
The positive externalities of this infrastructure for the DRC are multiple. Indeed, it will allow the various countries to optimize their international Internet connectivity, improve the quality of service, network resilience while reducing transmission costs. This technological advance is part of the sectoral vision of the President of the Republic, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, who wishes to make the Congolese Digital a lever of integration, good governance, economic growth and social progress.
In short, the establishment of the ACIX exchange point is a step towards the development of internet connectivity in the DRC and could enable this country to play an essential role in the transmission of sub-regional and continental internet traffic through a interconnection across equatorial Africa