Telecom Egypt to Launch New Open-Access Internet Exchange in Cairo with the Netherlands’ AMS-IX

Egypt's primary telecommunications provider, Telecom Egypt, has announced that it has signed a strategic agreement with the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) with a view to launching an internet exchange based in Cairo.

The exchange will act as an open-access platform through which providers of content delivery networks, apps, cloud systems and telecom carriers the chance to expand their offerings not just in Egypt, but in Africa and the Middle East, too. Pencilled in for early 2021, the exchange will be located at Telecom Egypt's data centre facility at Smart Village, on the western edges of Cairo. It will utilise IX-as-a-Service (IXaaS), a solution developed by AMS-IX that enables organisations to run internet exchanges.

“We are very pleased with our partnership with AMS-IX as the launch of Egypt’s first commercial IXP platform will support Egypt’s digital transformation plans,” said Adel Hamed, managing director and CEO of Telecom Egypt. “This step will not only enhance the country’s internet ecosystem, but also support the ongoing regional efforts to establish a digital ecosystem that aggregates internet traffic from Africa and the Middle East."

Having officially launched in 1997, AMS-IX is one of the oldest internet exchanges in the world and will bring plenty of knowhow as a non-profit, neutral and independent peering point.  There are currently 13 official internet exchange points in MENA, with two of them, Cairo Internet Exchange and Middle East Internet Exchange, based in Egypt.