- LINX collaborates with ISOC Ghana to enhance internet exchange capacity and connectivity in West Africa.
- The project targets local infrastructure growth and traffic localization in Accra and beyond.
What happened: UK-Ghana initiative strengthens regional IXPs
The London Internet Exchange (LINX) and Internet Society Ghana Chapter (ISOC Ghana) have launched a collaboration to boost internet infrastructure in West Africa. Their partnership focuses on supporting local internet exchange points (IXPs), beginning in Accra. The goal is to reduce reliance on international bandwidth, improve resilience, and localise more traffic within the region.
According to Mobile Magazine, LINX will provide technical training, strategic consultation, and support in building up IXP operations. The initiative also aims to ensure future scalability and local governance. ISOC Ghana will lead community engagement, working with local stakeholders to implement upgrades and promote the long-term sustainability of the infrastructure.
This is part of the Internet Society’s broader efforts in Africa, where it has previously supported projects to enhance digital inclusion through community networks and IXPs.
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Why it’s important
Expanding regional IXPs is key to improving Africa’s digital ecosystem. Countries like Ghana often rely on costly and fragile international connections to exchange local data. This increases latency and limits digital growth. By strengthening local infrastructure, the LINX–ISOC Ghana project supports more secure, cost-effective, and efficient digital services for West African users.
According to the Internet Society, IXPs help lower access costs, encourage local content creation, and build technical capacity. Ghana’s IXP was initially developed in 2005, but until recently it remained under-utilised. The new collaboration seeks to reverse that trend. LINX, one of Europe’s leading internet exchanges, brings expertise from managing large-scale exchanges in the UK and the US.
The approach prioritises local ownership and open standards. That ensures the infrastructure remains sustainable, without creating dependency on outside providers. This model could be replicated across other parts of Africa where local traffic often exits the continent before being exchanged.
