Raxio Côte d’Ivoire has announced the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications de Côte d’Ivoire (ARTCI), marking a significant milestone in the country’s digital development.
The agreement facilitates the colocation of the third national Point of Presence (PoP), known as CIVIX, within Raxio’s Tier III-certified, carrier-neutral data centre located in Grand Bassam, inside the VITIB technology park in the free zone — the first facility of its kind in Côte d’Ivoire. This partnership represents a major step forward in the nation’s ongoing digital transformation efforts.
The deployment of the new Internet Exchange Point (IXP) aims to bolster the resilience and expansion of local traffic exchanges, improve latency, and reinforce digital resilience and data sovereignty across the country. It also opens new avenues for attracting international content providers and additional IXPs, while empowering startups, internet service providers, artificial intelligence initiatives, and the broader technology ecosystem.
The signing ceremony was attended by the CEOs of ARTCI and Raxio Côte d’Ivoire, both emphasising their shared commitment to developing a more efficient, secure, and high-performing internet infrastructure for the region. Robert Skjodt, CEO of Raxio Côte d’Ivoire, expressed pride in the partnership, stating that it adds significant value to the national and regional digital landscape. He highlighted Raxio’s role in supporting Côte d’Ivoire’s digital strategy and fostering an environment conducive to local innovation, connectivity, and economic growth.
Lakoun Ouattara, CEO of ARTCI, underscored the importance of deploying this new IXP within a world-class facility like Raxio’s data centre, describing it as a crucial step towards achieving digital sovereignty and excellence. The localisation of internet traffic exchange reduces reliance on international bandwidth, increases the availability of local content and caching servers to ensure business continuity, and strengthens cybersecurity measures. Additionally, it enhances service quality for both users and businesses.
This milestone reinforces Raxio’s mission to empower West Africa’s digital future by providing vital infrastructure that supports regulatory priorities, private sector growth, and the region’s broader digital ambitions.
