Infrastructure and Community Development

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Without trust and collaboration between those who build and maintain the Internet, everyone’s Internet is weakened. This is why we are dedicated to building communities to build infrastructure, trust, and better local traffic exchange.

We all rely on technical communities to provide a reliable and affordable connection to the Internet. The Internet is strongest when there is a strong technical community that works well together and maintains the infrastructure that connects so many.

Where local infrastructure is not robust, Internet connection is less reliable and more expensive.

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) are critical to strengthening local infrastructure. IXPs are a physical location where different networks meet to exchange local traffic via an Ethernet switch. This helps keep internet traffic local, and makes the Internet faster and cheaper.

Local technical communities are a pillar for Internet development.

The Internet Society works with them to improve the local Internet infrastructure and to strengthen the trust and cooperation between those that build the Internet.

We recently released Anchoring the African Internet Ecosystem: Lessons from Kenya and Nigeria’s Internet Exchange Points Growth report. The report highlights how IXPs play critical role in expanding Internet access and lowering connectivity costs in Africa.

Read the report

What Infrastructure and Community Development Does

The Infrastructure and Community Development team supports and strengthens the communities that build the Internet.

We do this by:

Building Communities

We mobilize and support individuals and organizations with common interests and technical expertise on Internet matters.

These communities include Network Operators Groups (NOGs) and National Research and Education Networks (NRENs).

Supporting the Builders

We support local technical communities to build critical Internet infrastructures such as Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), Country Code Top level Domains (ccTLDs), National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) among others.

We empower these communities to share knowledge and experiences at local and regional fora such as Peering Forums.

We also support the development of critical infrastructures, by providing technical assistance and equipment.

Training People Around the World

Through tutorials, on-line courses & hands-on workshops we train hundreds of individuals in targeted regions and economies.

The aim is to empower communities to build, run, and maintain Internet networks.

Sharing Information

By convening people, commissioning studies and publishing reports, we aim to increase awareness and knowledge about peering, interconnection, IXPs, and local expert communities.

This evidence guides our work with governments and stakeholders to develop sound policy and regulation.

Partnerships

Much of our work is done thanks to various partnerships.

Learn about our partnerships

Interesting in partnering with us? Contact us.

Get Involved

Connect with Others

Meet people, stay in touch, share ideas, and learn from each other.

Attend an event

Make IXPs Secure

MANRS is an important step toward a globally robust and secure routing infrastructure.

Join the MANRS IXP Programme

Build an IXP and Make It Last

Find out what it takes to build and sustain an IXP.

Learn more

Take an Online Training

Learn about Internet topics right from wherever you are.

Take a training