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Utande and DFA Zimbabwe have upgraded its peering capacity at NAPAfrica’s Johannesburg Internet Exchange (IX) with Utande going from 10Gbps to 20Gbps and DFA Zimbabwe coming in with a massive 10x upgrade from 10 Gbps to 100 Gbps . This expansion, visible in updated peering records, underscores the internet service providers’ commitment to delivering high-speed, low-latency connectivity amid surging demand for data-intensive services.
The upgrade aligns with a broader infrastructure push detailed in Potraz’s Q4 2024 report, which revealed a 52.58% year-on-year increase in Utande’s international bandwidth capacity, from 17.385 Gbps to 26.526 Gbps. Together, these enhancements position Utande and DFA as key players in Zimbabwe’s evolving digital landscape, where reliable internet access is increasingly critical for businesses, education, and entertainment.
By Gamuchirai Mapako
The NAPAfrica Internet Exchange, hosted in Teraco’s Johannesburg data center, serves as a vital hub for African networks to peer with global content providers free of charge. Utande and DFA’s presence here allows direct connectivity with tech giants like Google, Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram), Microsoft, Netflix, Apple, and Amazon, reducing reliance on costly international transit routes.
Data shows Utande’s long-term investment in NAPAfrica. In 2020, the ISP upgraded its port speed from 1Gbps to 10Gbps; today’s leap to 20Gbps reflects the growth of Zimbabwe’s internet usage over the past five years.
The 52.58% surge in Utande’s international capacity, as reported by Potraz, mirrors Zimbabwe’s noticeable digital transformation. With mobile penetration 70% and demand for fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) rising, ISPs are racing to bolster their infrastructure.
Peering at NAPAfrica offers Zimbabwean ISPs a competitive edge by avoiding transit fees, ISPs can reinvest savings into network expansion or lower tariffs, a 20Gbps and 100Gps port means fewer bottlenecks during peak hours for example evenings when streaming demand spikes.
Distributed peering minimises single points of failure, enhancing uptime.
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