Nokia announced that it has been selected to power the Medusa Submarine Cable System, a new subsea fibre-optic network that is expected to enhance connectivity across Europe and North Africa.
First announced in 2022, the cable system is owned by AFR-IX Telecom, a Spanish infrastructure provider.
Nokia said the system aims to connect the Atlantic coast, Mediterranean Sea, and the Red Sea, to create a new high-capacity digital corridor in the region, while driving connectivity, innovation, and economic growth.
According to Medusa Submarine Cable System’s website, its Network Operations Centre is based in Europe, and it has operational branches in Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus. These branches hold licenses and permits.
In North Africa, Medusa has agreements with local licensed operators for landing parties.
Nokia emphasises that the Medusa subsea cable is a significant step toward closing the digital divide between the two continents, connecting countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, and Egypt with high-capacity fibre-optic links.
Designed as an open-access system, Medusa provides telecom providers across the region access to connectivity services, supporting the rollout of 5G, the growth of cloud infrastructure, and the increasing bandwidth demands of artificial intelligence (AI), and future technologies.
It leverages Nokia’s 1830 GX Series, a compact modular transport platform configurable for virtual optical networking application from edge to core; and also ICE7 coherent optics, capable of transmitting tens of terabits per second per fibre pair.
The subsea cable it is also equipped to deliver high-capacity, low-latency connectivity with optimal cost and power efficiency per transmitted bit, notes Nokia.
Commenting on the project, Miguel Angel Acero, chief technology officer and founder of Medusa, says the submarine cable system is laying the groundwork for a more connected and inclusive digital future.
“With Nokia’s subsea optical solution, we will be able to deliver greater value to our customers by offering faster, more reliable connectivity at a lower cost, with the flexibility to scale as needs evolve. This partnership ensures we meet the demands of today while building a strong, future-ready infrastructure for tomorrow.”
For John Harrington, SVP & head of network infrastructure Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific sales at Nokia, the partnership is about connecting more people to the digital economy.
He says: “Medusa is helping to deliver new, faster and more reliable connectivity to millions of people, opening the door to greater innovation and deeper integration into the global digital economy. At Nokia, we’re proud to support this transformative project, bridging continents and enabling the future of an AI-driven society.”
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