Quake, Rabbit Holes, and the African Internet – Kyle Spencer | Coffee Pump (E079)

Konichiwa Fam! On E078, I sit down with Kyle Spencer, a key figure in Africa’s internet infrastructure scene, for one of the wildest origin stories we’ve had on Coffee Pump. You will love it! On this episode, we get into: - Growing up on early IBM PCs, DOS, and dial-up internet - Doom, Quake, LAN parties, and how gaming taught Kyle networking - Kyle’s wild backpacking journey across Asia on a 125cc motorbike and accidentally becoming a TV celebrity in China - Moving to Uganda in 2008 and helping revive the Uganda Internet Exchange - How Kyle and his team helped Uganda’s internet traffic grow from a few megabits to 70+ gigabits - Data centers, peering, AfPIF, and the AFRINIC IP drama And much, much more. Hope you enjoy the episode. Best, Team Coffee Pump Find Kyle Spencer: - LinkedIn: https://ug.linkedin.com/in/kyle-spencer - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kikubamutwe/?hl=en - X: https://x.com/kyleville?s=20 Find about more about the next AFPIF event: https://www.afpif.org Find our host Sajid Vayani: - Instagram: https://instagram.com/sajidvayani?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA== - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sajvayani?_t=ZM-8tKwY3KSEon&_r=1 - YouTube: https://youtube.com/@sajidvayani - Twitter / X: https://x.com/sajvayani?s=21 Our Sponsors: Connect Coffee Roasters - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connectcoffeeroasters/?hl=en - Connect Coffee Website: https://connectcoffeeroasters.net - Riverfront, Chiromo Branch: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sk8Z4HysfCSz3Hja7 CoffeePump Socials: - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coffeepumppodcast? utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Coffee Pump Audio: - Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ke/podcast/coffee-pump/id1755013994 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0X1unCgwcsMSoG7YfgAu73?si=FBy53R8rSCm-xXGJMKQtaQ Disclaimer: The content of The Coffee Pump Podcast is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Coffee Pump Podcast, its affiliates, or any associated entities. Nothing discussed in this podcast should be construed as professional advice in any field, including but not limited to legal, financial, medical, or business matters. Any statements made about businesses, products, or individuals are based on personal experiences and opinions and are not meant to be taken as fact or a definitive review. The Coffee Pump Podcast does not assume any liability for the accuracy, completeness, or consequences of using the information discussed. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions, conduct their own research, and seek professional guidance where appropriate. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that The Coffee Pump Podcast is not responsible for any actions or decisions made based on the content provided. 0:00 - Intro 1:03 - Darth Vader Vs Superman 1:54 - Saj Welcoming Kyle Spencer to the podcast 2:08 - First time Saj and Kyle Spencer meeeting 3:20 - Kyle Spencer upbringing 3:30 - How Kyle Spencer got in to gaming 5:04 - Discussing prodigy and AOL 6:30 - Quake the Computer game 7:13 - Floppy disks and doom 8:04 - Kyle Spencer Setting up land parties in Ivory Coast 8:50 - Saj's first experience gaming (halo) 10:51 - Kyle Spencer getting in to ICT 12:40 - Rocket jumping 13:26 - Kyle Spencer getting in to web design 14:10 - Summer jobs 14:55 - Kyle Spencer not going to university 15:20 - Kyle Spencer leaving the states 16:35 - Kyle Spencer exploring China 19:12 - Kyle Spencer facing challenges in China 19:58 - Kyle Spencer ends up in China Television 23:20 - Kyle Spencer's girlfriend & her illness 25:05 - Kyle Spencer Going back to Burma 26:07 - Kyle Spencer exploring Burma & Lao on a motorbike 28:32 - Kyle Spencer gets to Cambodia & meets new girlfriend 29:42 - China and the Chinese Border 30:34 - Kyle Spencer moving around Asia (cash challenges) 30:56 - Chinese military base 32:14 - Kyle Spencer breaking up with his second girlfriend 32:30 - Kyle Spencer Moving to Uganda 34:04 - Internet exchange in uganda 41:35 - Future of internet exchanges 43:34 - Data centers 50:05 - Internet exchange ecosystem 52:53 - The Internet Society , AFNOG 56:53 - AfPIF 1:00:00 - Organising and running tech events 1:03:21 - AFRINIC IP drama 1:08:23 - Kyle's future plans 1:11:33 - The Artificial Intelligence bubble 1:12:30 - GPU Clusters ,gaming Hardware 1:14:17 - Cloud gaming 1:15:49 - Content piracy & Regulations 1:18:00 - Kyle's gaming career 1:21:27 - Coffee pump podcast logo inspo 1:21:24 - Saj & Kyle gaming plan 1:24:42 - Kyle's Travel calendar 1:25:29 - Outro