Page 66 - 40th Summit Brochure 2020

Internet Exchange Points
Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) are a vital Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)
component of the Internet ecosystem, they
optimise the performance of the Internet by
bringing about low latency, improved
throughput, reduces costs related to inter-
national links and improves Internet user
experience. Basically, IXPs enable low-cost
exchange of Internet traffic in the domestic
market that it serves. All SADC Member
States have set up at least one National IXP
(NIXP). As of December 2018, the IXPs
from South Africa and Zimbabwe had com-
pleted the three year transformation process
to fully operational SADC Regional IXP
(RIXP) and there are in excess of five IXPs
connected to the two SADC RIXPs. The ob-
jective of the RIXPs is to ensure that SADC
traffic remains within SADC.
In addition, Member States have been
urged to establish dual N/RIXPs and their in-
terconnection to each other, thereby creating
a SADC Internet exchange cloud of N/RIXPs
(mesh network of RIXPs). Cross-border con-
nections to the RIXPs is a challenge and as a
result the SADC Regional Cross Border In-
terconnection Policy Framework and Refer-
ence Interconnection Of er were developed Source: SADC Secretariat
to create a high level of transparency on tarif s 63
and harmonisation of agreements, promote World Radio Communications Conference
good practices, bring down cross-border in- Allocation of usage of Radio Frequency
terconnections costs and promote connec- (RF) spectrum and satellite orbital re-
sources, which are finite and scarce national
tions to the RIXPs. An assessment of the
international interconnection pricing has resources that are vital for the provision of
communications services, are stipulated in
commenced. Inventory has been undertaken
of the hosting and type of Root Domain the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) Radio Regulations, a legal in-
Name System Servers instances in SADC re-
gion. All Member States, except Comoros, strument of the ITU which has treaty status.
As the bulk of the RF spectrum has been al-
Eswatini and Zambia, have at least one Root
DNS Server instance. located and new wireless technologies are
being developed, the ITU World Radio
Harmonisation of Emergency Services communication Conference (WRC) is con-
vened to review and revise these radio reg-
Emergency services such as police, fire and
ambulance are very critical for the safety ulations so as to facilitate the sharing and
reuse of these resources by the union’s 193
and well-being of SADC citizens. More so
is the need for easy-to-remember number- membership. WRC-19 was held in October
2019 in Egypt during which SADC con-
ing for these emergency services. This is to
assist for citizens travelling across the re- tributed significantly to Africa’s common
position for the conference. The SADC re-
gion who at some point need to access these
critical services in the countries visited. In gion found it absolutely necessary to speak
with one voice by harmonising Member
an effort to make emergency-related num-
bers easy to recall and familiar to travellers, State positions and proposals on the WRC
Agenda Items. The last SADC preparatory
SADC has harmonised the numbering plan
of such services across the region, making meeting was held with East African Com-
munications Organization in June 2019 in
the use of the short codes “112” for all the
three emergency services (Police, Fire and Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanza-
nia. A SADC ICT Ministerial decision was
Ambulance) and “116” to access the child
helpline services. taken that a SADC Member State should