USTDA sees ‘technical merit’ in plans to establish IXPs in Benghazi, Tripoli

The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has determined, based on technical evaluation and determination of cost realism, that an unsolicited proposal entitled ‘Facilitation of Establishment of Internet Exchange Points in Tripoli and Benghazi, Libya’ has technical merit. The proposal concerns the formation of internet exchange points (IXPs) in the two Libyan cities in order to reduce the cost and increase the performance and reliability of internet access in the country, and create nuclei for the formation of a domestic private-sector communications industry. The goal of the project will be to organise and train domestic constituents to build and support long-term sustainable IXPs, following the international best practices visible in the roughly 350 IXPs elsewhere in the world. The undertaking is expected to cost around USD80,000, and take between four to six months to complete.