Nokia and INX-ZA bring 400GE-ready internet exchange infrastructure to South Africa to boost resilience and digital growth

Nokia and INX-ZA bring 400GE-ready internet exchange infrastructure to South Africa to boost resilience and digital growth

(IN BRIEF) Nokia has been selected by INX-ZA, the Internet Exchange Point division of the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA), to modernize South Africa’s internet exchange infrastructure with its high-performance IP routing technology. The upgrade will bring 400GE-ready and expanded 100GE services to internet service providers, cloud operators, and enterprises, improving connectivity speed, efficiency, and resilience across the country. The initiative will start with Johannesburg’s JINX, Africa’s oldest Internet Exchange Point, expanding from seven to ten data centers while preserving its flawless uptime record. INX-ZA General Manager Nishal Goburdhan highlighted the shift as a milestone in building a sustainable and future-ready digital ecosystem, while Nokia emphasized its role in delivering scalable, flexible, and innovative infrastructure. This project strengthens South Africa’s internet backbone and sets an example for other African IXPs to follow in modernizing outdated exchange systems.

(PRESS RELEASE) ESPOO, 22-Aug-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — INX-ZA, the Internet Exchange Point division of the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA), has chosen Nokia to overhaul and modernize its national internet exchange infrastructure. Through the deployment of Nokia’s advanced IP routing technology, INX-ZA will introduce 400GE connectivity and expand its existing 100GE services, offering faster, more scalable, and highly resilient interconnection for internet service providers, cloud companies, enterprises, and end users across South Africa.

Internet exchange points (IXPs) are a vital part of digital ecosystems, enabling local traffic to remain within the country and reducing reliance on costly international transit. Many exchanges in Africa still run on outdated systems with limited capacity and efficiency. INX-ZA’s adoption of Nokia’s latest solution addresses these challenges, delivering a flexible, energy-efficient, and future-proof platform capable of supporting the region’s growing demand for high-capacity digital services.

“Transitioning to Nokia’s 400GE-ready systems is about more than bandwidth – it represents a new chapter in South Africa’s connectivity journey,” said Nishal Goburdhan, General Manager at INX-ZA. “This upgrade empowers us to deliver reliable, energy-conscious, and globally competitive interconnection services that meet the expectations of our members and strengthen the digital economy of our country.”

The rollout will begin in Johannesburg, home to JINX – Africa’s first and longest-running Internet Exchange Point, operating since 1996 with 100% uptime. Nokia and INX-ZA will expand JINX from seven to ten data centers by the end of the year, with the first phase bringing thirty of Nokia’s high-performance platforms into operation to maintain its strong reliability while broadening its reach.

“Internet exchanges are at the heart of digital transformation, as more content is generated, consumed, and hosted in the cloud,” said Toni Pellegrino, Head of South and East Africa Sales, Network Infrastructure at Nokia. “Our collaboration with INX-ZA reflects a shared commitment to robust, sustainable, and scalable infrastructure. With our 7250 Interconnect Routers and SR OS software, INX-ZA can deliver new levels of capacity while creating a foundation for future automation and innovation.”

This deployment, which leverages Nokia’s 7250 Interconnect Routers alongside its Service Router Operating System (SR OS), introduces 400GE and expanded 100GE services for peering and backbone connectivity. The upgrade is designed not only to serve South Africa’s rapidly evolving internet requirements but also to set the stage for similar modernization across other African IXPs.

By adopting Nokia’s high-performance networking solutions, INX-ZA is positioning itself at the forefront of internet exchange technology, supporting South Africa’s digital growth while enabling the country’s service providers and enterprises to benefit from world-class connectivity and reliability.

About Nokia

At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.

With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

About INX-ZA

INX-ZA is the Internet Exchange Point division of the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) and operates Africa’s longest-running community-run Internet exchange points since 1996.  With a strong focus on technical excellence, neutrality, and community development, INX-ZA plays a pivotal role in strengthening South Africa’s Internet infrastructure and enabling a more resilient and accessible digital ecosystem.

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SOURCE: Nokia