Raxio Côte d’Ivoire and the Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications de Côte d’Ivoire (ARTCI) executed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday to establish the third Point of Presence (PoP) of the National Internet Exchange, which is referred to as the 3rd CIVIX PoP.
This partnership marks a significant leap in Côte d’Ivoire’s digital infrastructure development.
Hosting the third CIVIX PoP in a Tier III data centre
The new PoP will be located within Raxio’s Tier III-certified, carrier-neutral data centre in Grand Bassam, inside the VITIB free zone technology park.
This is the first time Côte d’Ivoire hosts such an advanced internet exchange infrastructure in a neutral and highly reliable facility.
The Tier III certification guarantees 99.98% uptime and robust fault tolerance, ensuring continuous internet traffic exchange with minimal disruptions.
Robert Skjodt, CEO of Raxio Côte d’Ivoire, emphasised the value of this partnership: “We are honoured to support Côte d’Ivoire’s national digital strategy and help create an environment where local innovation, connectivity, and economic growth can flourish.”
Lakoun Ouattara, CEO of ARTCI, added that deploying the IXP in a world-class data centre is “a key step towards achieving digital sovereignty and excellence.”
Benefits of the new Internet Exchange Point for Côte d’Ivoire
The 3rd CIVIX PoP aims to strengthen local internet traffic resilience and reduce latency by keeping traffic exchanges within the country rather than routing them through international bandwidth.
This will improve internet speeds and service quality for businesses and end users. The initiative also enhances national data sovereignty by hosting local content and caching servers securely within Côte d’Ivoire.
Moreover, the project is expected to attract global content providers and other internet exchange points, fostering a more interconnected and competitive digital ecosystem.
It will support startups, internet service providers, and AI initiatives, boosting the entire technology sector’s growth.
By reducing dependence on international bandwidth, the new IXP will lower costs and improve cybersecurity, ensuring a safer and more efficient internet environment for the nation.
This collaboration between Raxio Côte d’Ivoire and ARTCI highlights a shared commitment to building a secure, efficient, high-performance internet infrastructure that underpins Côte d’Ivoire’s ongoing digital transformation.
Raxio|ARTCI
Raxio is a pan-African data centre operator building carrier-neutral Tier III facilities across the continent.
They provide secure, scalable colocation and connectivity, forming a critical backbone for Africa’s digital economy.
Raxio aims to accelerate digital transformation by offering reliable infrastructure to businesses, cloud providers, and network operators in various African markets.
ARTCI is Côte d’Ivoire’s independent regulatory authority for telecommunications and ICT.
Its key role involves regulating the sector, promoting competition, protecting consumers, and managing digital resources like domain names.
ARTCI actively fosters digital inclusion and infrastructure development, exemplified by its partnership with Raxio to host a national internet exchange point.
