IP point of presence to 'enhance Internet connectivity in Jordan'

AMMAN — Orange Jordan has announced the launch of the large-capacity IP point of presence (PoP), which the government said will enhance connectivity for Internet users in the country and the region, and play a key role in making the Kingdom a regional ICT hub.

The new $5 million PoP will enable local and regional operators to conveniently access global IP services from Jordan rather than other points such as Europe or the US, Jerome Henique, CEO of Orange Jordan, said at a press conference on  Thursday.

The 60 gigabit per second capacity is the first of its kind to be launched in the Kingdom, according to an Orange Jordan statement.

Orange Jordan says its IP PoP has the capacity to efficiently manage the exponentially growing IP traffic.

Benefits include faster connection speeds and improved operational reliability, according to Orange.

“The launch of Orange Jordan’s IP PoP in Amman is definitely a step forward towards Jordan’s efforts to implement His Majesty’s vision to transform the Kingdom into a regional ICT hub,” ICT Minister Majd Shweikeh said. 

The minister added that it will enable both individuals and enterprises to keep up with the developments in telecommunications.  

Bruno Mettling, deputy CEO of Orange’s operations in the Middle East and Africa said Jordan was chosen "as the most ideal location" for the IP PoP in the region due to its security, geographical location, network of relationships with other telecom operators and connectivity to a number of countries in the region

According to latest figures by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, the number of Internet users in Jordan, including those using third and fourth generation mobile technologies, rose to 6.3 million in the third quarter of 2015, from 6.2 million in the second quarter.

Also on the rise was the number of Internet subscriptions in the Kingdom, which reached 2.038 million at the end of September 2015.