The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) digital transformation is advancing after becoming home to Africa’s newest internet hub, thanks to an alliance which consists of global Internet Exchange (IX) operator DE-CIX, the NGO Internet pour Tous (Internet for All) and United SA, an internet connectivity and web hosting provider based in Kinshasa.
The Africa Congo Internet Exchange (ACIX) has expanded to an additional data centre presence in OADC Texaf’s Kinshasa FIH1 facility.
ACIX becomes the first distributed IX in the DRC, keeping data local and slashing costs for millions of users across equatorial Africa.
The placement in the carrier-neutral facility marks a step in strengthening the digital infrastructure ecosystem of the DRC by enabling improved local internet traffic exchange, reduced latency, enhanced network resilience, and broader interconnection opportunities for the national and regional internet community.
Established in 2023, ACIX powered by DE-CIX is designed as a neutral internet exchange environment open to all licensed operators, Internet Service Providers, Mobile Network Operators, cloud providers, content providers, enterprises, financial institutions, academic networks, and international carriers operating in the DRC and the wider region.
ACIX is operated by DE-CIX on behalf of Internet pour Tous, as part of the DE-CIX-as-a-Service programme.
The NGO supports the development and coordination of the ACIX initiative as a platform intended to promote inclusive interconnection and digital ecosystem growth across the country.
Through the IX, networks from equatorial Africa are able to exchange data with other networks at reduced latency, improving the performance of content and applications, from education to internet banking.
“ACIX is more than an Internet Exchange; it is digital infrastructure for Central Africa,” says Hussein Ibrahim, CEO of United SA. “Strong digital ecosystems are built on strong interconnection. ACIX represents an important step toward a more connected and digitally empowered region, where data can remain local, networks become more resilient, and innovation can scale across borders.”
Mohammed Bouhelal, managing director and director, business development of OADC Texaf DC, comments: “As a neutral infrastructure provider, our role is to enable open interconnection and support the development of the broader digital ecosystem.
"Hosting ACIX within a carrier-neutral environment contributes to creating a trusted platform where all ecosystem participants can interconnect on equal terms.”
“The integration of OADC Texaf’s newly built Kinshasa facility will enable additional networks to connect to the exchange and benefit from improved connectivity,” says Marco Brandstaetter, global program manager for DE-CIX-as-a-Service at DE-CIX. “ACIX is creating digital opportunities for the DRC and equatorial Africa by aggregating networks and enabling low latency and resilient local data exchange.”
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