Nicta to launch first internet exchange point

By SHIRLEY MAULUDU
THE National Information and Communication Technology Authority plans to launch the country’s first internet exchange point (IXP) early next year, an official says.
Nicta’s Economic, Consumer and International Affairs director Kila Gulo-Vui yesterday said Nicta was working on having the IXP launched next year.
“We are undertaking a project with our international partners and the project or facility was supposed to be launched in around June. But we are now planning that for the first quarter of 2017,” he said.
According to previous information from Nicta, internet users will experience 90 per cent reduction in cost once the IXP is up and running. Nicta board director and independent expert Dr Bob Horton had explained previously that a local IXP would drastically reduce internet cost.
“With internet in the past, every country has to go through a server, maybe in USA and Europe. Talking to the person next door, information gets thrown out of the country and comes back and goes next door – that’s where most of the money goes, because you have to pay for that,” Horton said.
“So having an exchange point in the country, you go through that exchange point to your neighbour. It directly goes straight to him or her and does not go to the server outside. Australia solved this problem 15 years ago.”