MainOne Reinstates Commitment to Internet Growth in Africa

Emma Okonji

MainOne has reinstated its commitment to the growth of internet in Africa by successfully hosting the 12th edition of the African Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF) in Accra, Ghana last week.

The event, co-hosted by the Internet Society (ISOC) and the African IXP Association (AFIX), drew an impressive gathering of global and local industry leaders, regulators and stakeholders advancing Africa’s digital landscape and strengthening connectivity across the continent.

Ghana’s Country Manager, MainOne, Emmanuel Kwarteng, emphasised the significance of AfPIF 2023 in fostering collaborations across Africa’s digital ecosystem. 

Kwarteng said: “In an era of rapid technological advancement, the Internet and content have emerged as two major pillars of modern society, transcending geographical boundaries and revolutionising the way we do business, communicate, learn, and interact with the world around us.” 

“We cannot overemphasise the critical role that peering plays in enhancing the reach, reliability, and efficiency of this new digital lifestyle. By collaborating with the Internet Society on the shared vision of an inclusive and interconnected Internet society for the continent, we believe that the transformative partnerships formed here will drive value for a more connected Africa.”

Speakers at the event include Ghana’s Minister of Communications and Digitisation, Ursula Ekuful; Deputy Director General, National Communication Authority, Ghana; Eser Osie-Yeboah Boateng and Nii Quaynor, widely known as the Father of Ghana’s Internet.

The minister emphasised the need for a robust peering and interconnection ecosystem for the efficient operation of the country’s digital initiatives. 

“This will permit local traffic and promote ICT, which is crucial for any nation wishing to participate fully in the global Internet economy. It will enhance the end-user experience, bring down access cost, and encourage the growth of regional Internet ecosystems,” Ekuful said. 

She also highlighted the importance of supporting the aggregation of internet traffic at interconnection hubs across Africa, which would attract international operators to establish their points of presence (POPs) in the West African region.

MainOne’s role as the host of AfPIF 2023 and its active commitment in fostering interconnections, align with its broader mission of driving digital transformation across West Africa.

The commitment was further solidified as the Ghana Internet Exchange (GIX) and MainOne, an Equinix Company Ghana firmed up their partnership with an announcement of the extension of the GIX network to the MDXi Appolonia Data Centre at the event. 

According to MainOne, it will continue to lead with investments in infrastructural development and new Data Centre builds across the West African region and is set to launch a new data centre in Cote d’Ivoire before the end of this year.