By Business Editor
Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services across 14 African countries, has selected Nokia to build a transformative, high-capacity terrestrial fiber network spanning East and Central Africa for its next-generation fiber service, Airtel Africa Telesonic.
The strategic project aims to connect multiple African countries and link submarine cables to terrestrial networks, significantly enhancing digital connectivity across the continent. It is expected to boost economic growth and improve the quality of life by providing affordable and reliable digital infrastructure.
The initiative will connect the 2Africa subsea cable to Africa’s terrestrial networks, expanding access to high-speed, affordable connectivity. By leveraging Telesonic’s fiber assets and subsea cable systems, the project will meet the continent’s growing demand for wholesale data, driving innovation and development across sectors.
Using Nokia’s 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) platform, the network will support up to 38 Terabits per second (Tbps) and is C+L Band ready, enhancing capacity and speed. Powered by Nokia’s high-speed coherent Photonic Service Engine (PSE) technology, the Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) network will comprise 139 nodes across multiple countries, delivering high-speed connectivity and enabling advanced cloud-based services.
Beyond infrastructure development, the project reflects Airtel Africa Telesonic’s commitment to empowering businesses, education, and healthcare across Africa.
Airtel Africa’s Chief Technology Officer, Razvan Ungureanu, said:
“Deploying Nokia’s 1830 Photonic Service Switch platform marks a pivotal upgrade to our network infrastructure across Africa. This will enable us to deliver greater capacity and high-speed connectivity to efficiently handle webscale traffic. With Nokia’s Photonic Service Engine powering our DWDM network, we are setting the stage for transformative growth and new opportunities throughout the continent.”
Airtel Africa Telesonic’s Chief Executive Officer, PD Sarma, added:
“Our collaboration with Nokia is a significant milestone in advancing Africa’s digital infrastructure. By leveraging Nokia’s cutting-edge fiber-optic solutions, we aim to meet the escalating demand for data across the continent. This network will drive economic growth, empower communities, and create new opportunities for businesses and individuals alike.”
Nokia Middle East & Africa’s Head of Growth Group for Network Infrastructure, Samer Lutfi, noted:
“We are proud to partner with Airtel Africa Telesonic in this ambitious project to enhance digital connectivity across Africa. Our advanced DWDM technology, with its high capacity and reliability, is designed to help enterprises accelerate digital transformation and economic growth. This project reflects our shared commitment to connecting communities and driving progress.”
