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Nokia has been chosen by INX-ZA, the Internet Exchange Point (IXP) division of the Internet Service Provider Association (ISPA), to modernize South Africa’s exchange infrastructure.
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Through this collaboration, INX-ZA will deploy Nokia’s high-performance IP routing portfolio to deliver new 400GE services and expand 100GE offerings nationwide, empowering businesses and internet users with faster, more resilient, and future-ready connectivity.
Going beyond outdated platforms with limited scalability and efficiency
Internet exchanges play a pivotal role in Africa’s digital ecosystem by enabling local data exchange and reducing reliance on costly international bandwidth. However, many IXPs across the continent still operate on outdated platforms with limited scalability and efficiency.
By transitioning to Nokia’s next-generation solution, INX-ZA is addressing these challenges, introducing energy-efficient, scalable, and high-density infrastructure designed to grow alongside South Africa’s digital economy.
The upgrade will cover INX-ZA’s key Internet Exchange Points in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, beginning with Johannesburg – home to JINX, Africa’s oldest Internet Exchange Point, which has maintained 100% uptime since 1996.
In partnership with Nokia, INX-ZA plans to expand JINX from seven to ten data centers by year-end. Phase one will see the deployment of thirty high-performance Nokia platforms, ensuring the exchange preserves its industry-leading availability while extending its reach.
New infrastructure expands capabilities once unavailable in the region
Powered by Nokia’s 7250 Interconnect Routers and Service Router Operating System (SR OS), the new infrastructure will allow INX-ZA to provide 400GE and expanded 100GE services for peering partners and Internet service providers (ISPs) – capabilities not previously available in the region. It will also enhance INX-ZA’s backbone performance, connecting multiple points of presence (PoPs) with 400GE links to improve scale and efficiency.
Goburdhan, INX-ZA
“Upgrading to Nokia’s 400GE-ready infrastructure isn’t just about adding capacity – it’s about reimagining how South Africa connects. With this modern, energy-efficient platform, INX-ZA can deliver faster, more reliable, and more sustainable interconnection services while maintaining the uptime and performance our community has come to expect of us,” said Nishal Goburdhan, INX-ZA’s General Manager.
This initiative represents a significant milestone in future-proofing South Africa’s internet backbone, offering ISPs, cloud providers, and enterprises a more robust and flexible network foundation. It also sets the stage for similar transformations across Africa’s legacy internet exchanges, ensuring the continent is better equipped for the next wave of digital growth.
Pellegrino,, Nokia.
As people are consuming and producing more content and businesses are moving their loads to the cloud, Internet Exchanges are an essential and critical part of digital infrastructure. Working with customers like INX-ZA, which is deeply committed to technical excellence and community enablement, aligns with our belief in delivering resilient, sustainable and scalable trusted infrastructure in South Africa,” said Toni Pellegrino, Head of South and East Africa Sales Unit, Network Infrastructure, Nokia.
