Kinshasa IXP up and running after decade of disrepair

According to Agence Ecofin, the long-dormant Kinshasa Internet Exchange (KINIX) went live on 16 November, after originally falling into disuse back in 2002. The re-launch was made possible through a Community Grants Programme, and the facility will be managed by the Congolese Association of Internet Service Providers, as part of its ‘RDC-IX’ project, which aims to establish internet exchange points of presence (PoP) in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Goma. The project reportedly brought together 20 engineers representing six different ISPs, representatives of the Autorite de Regulation de la Poste et des Telecommunications (ARPTC), officials from the Central Bank of Congo, and personnel from local universities and financial authorities. Agence Ecofin notes that the original incarnation of KINIX was bank-rolled by Interconnect Afrinet, Micronet, and High-Tech, although no reason was provided for its closure.