As a means of addressing the issue of high retail internet costs and the quality of service in Papua New Guinea, an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) facility was launched today in Port Moresby.
The National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA) officially announced the operational soft launch of the PNG Neutral IXP, which is a shared, and soon to be, a managed ICT infrastructure of the PNG IXP group.
The IXP also addresses the issue of quality of internet service in the country. It is a physical location where internet service providers (ISPs) connect to exchange local traffic with each other via a network switch.
The primary function of an IXP is to keep local internet traffic within local infrastructure so as to reduce the costs associated with traffic exchange between ISPs.
NICTA manager international affairs, Jackson Kariko, said this is in line with the Government’s National Broadband Policy to achieve high quality, affordable broadband services essential for future social and economic development.
Kariko said although there are several factors to address and overcome, one of the most effective mechanisms to accomplish both cost and service gains is through the establishment of an IXP.
The major launch of the PNG IXP facility is part of PNG’s celebration of the ITU World Telecommunication and Information Society Day that will be held on May 17, 2017.