Sentech shows support for open peering

Sentech, the signal distributor for the majority of South Africa's broadcasters, is now live on peering platform, NAPAfrica. Lex van Wyk, Chief Executive Officer of Teraco Data Environments, in which NAPAfrica is situated, says: "Sentech will now not only be able to benefit from bandwidth savings through NAPAfrica, but will also be able to distribute content to an ever-growing list of peering members already housed within the Teraco facility."

Van Wyk says the move is a substantial first for the South African government. "With Sentech joining the open peering movement, we're hoping that this will lead to further improvements in the distribution of key content to the end-user - specifically within communities requiring health and education-related content."

Dr Setumo Mohapi, Chief Executive Officer of Sentech, says the company's use of NAPAfrica for peering and online content distribution is an integral part of its approach to enabling universal access to multimedia content through open access platforms. "We have ambitious plans for the years ahead, and we're pleased with our decision to opt for a neutral facility offering access to a growing community of businesses as well as cost-effective peering."

Van Wyk says that peering, and the importance thereof, is a critical element in today's Internet infrastructure. "The growth and success of peering points can be directly linked to additional broadcast content being widely and easily available. With this progression, and the cost-reduction involved, we hope to ultimately see a direct impact on the overall economic growth across the continent. Peering is directly related to the price of Internet transit, which has decreased substantially in regions where successful exchanges have been established.

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) are vital elements of Internet infrastructure that enable networks to exchange traffic with each other. Multiple Internet service and content providers connect to a single exchange creating the potential for a range of technical and economic benefits for the Internet community. Local and international content providers rely on the availability of high-speed, low-cost connections in order to guarantee the quality of service to the end subscriber at a low cost entry point.

"Teraco offers the choice to our clients; offering both multi-lateral and bi-lateral peering which then helps all members to connect to the exchange based on what is favourable to their business," says Van Wyk.