- LINX takes over Asteroid’s hubs in Kenya, bringing global peering to networks in Mombasa and Nairobi.
- The deal reflects Africa’s shift to regional peering models that link local IXPs with major global providers.
What happened: LINX takes over Asteroid networks in Kenya
The London Internet Exchange (LINX) and Asteroid have entered a co-operative agreement to enhance interconnectivity across East Africa. From now until the end of the year, Asteroid will transition its customer networks in Mombasa and Nairobi to LINX’s interconnection hubs.
Both companies will support the seamless migration, with Asteroid scaling back operations after establishing local infrastructure, and LINX supplying 24/7 engineering support along with services like Private VLAN and Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS).
The agreement marks another successful handover as Asteroid withdraws from its third incubated interconnection market, while customers gain access to global peering via LINX’s hubs in the UK, US and soon Ghana.
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Why it’s important
This deal shows a big change in Africa’s digital networks. Regional exchanges often start interconnection systems and later link them with larger global players. LINX is now entering East Africa with strong technology and local knowledge. This helps it expand services and keep networks stable in Kenya.
The move also helps operators who need fast and reliable connections. They need this as more people use cloud services, streaming platforms, and cross-border traffic. LINX gains a larger footprint with this step. Asteroid can then focus on setting up new exchanges in other markets.
This cycle of building and handing over could change how internet exchanges grow. Africa’s internet community is looking for stronger peering and more control at the regional level. This partnership may lead other internet exchange points to try the same path. It could also bring wider access and better network performance for users across the region.
