Airtel Africa and Nokia Launch Mega Fibre Backbone to Bridge Africa’s Digital Divide
The project is designed to create a robust digital backbone that interconnects multiple countries and links major submarine cables, such as the 2Africa system, to the terrestrial infrastructure inland.
Airtel Africa, through its wholesale fibre subsidiary Telesonic, has announced a strategic partnership with Nokia to deploy a transformative, high-capacity terrestrial fibre optic network across East and Central Africa. The initiative, revealed at the recent 28th AfricaCom event in Cape Town, aims to address the continent’s growing digital consumption by significantly enhancing cross-border connectivity.
The project is designed to create a robust digital backbone that interconnects multiple countries and links major submarine cables, such as the 2Africa system, to the terrestrial infrastructure inland. This will support the rapid growth in Africa’s mobile-first user base, who increasingly rely on the internet for essential services like education, healthcare, and financial access.
The Technology Powering the Network
The new infrastructure, which will be implemented by Telesonic, will leverage Nokia’s 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) platform and its high-speed coherent Photonic Service Engine (PSE) technology. This advanced Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) network will be capable of handling an ultra-high capacity of up to 38 Terabits per second (Tbps), facilitating fast, secure, and large-scale data transfers necessary for cloud services and webscale traffic.
The network deployment will encompass 139 nodes spanning multiple countries, directly contributing to the resilience and speed required for landlocked nations to access high-capacity international bandwidth.
“Deploying Nokia’s 1830 Photonic Service Switch is a pivotal network upgrade. It enables high-speed, webscale-ready connectivity across Africa, setting the stage for transformative growth and opportunities.”
– Razvan Ungureanu, Chief Technology Officer, Airtel Africa
“Our collaboration with Nokia is an important step in developing Africa’s digital infrastructure. By leveraging Nokia’s cutting-edge fiber solutions, we aim to meet the continent’s growing data demand. This network will drive economic growth, empower communities, and create new opportunities for businesses and individuals.”
– Prasanta Das Sarma, Managing Director, Airtel Africa Telesonic
Launched in February 2024 to meet the escalating wholesale data capacity needs, Telesonic’s mandate is directly supported by the expected surge in mobile data traffic. Industry projections anticipate that mobile data traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa will increase by approximately 6 GB per connection per month between 2023 and 2030. This growth is driven by expanding broadband coverage, rising smartphone penetration, and consumer demand for bandwidth-intensive content like video streaming and online gaming.
This fibre network deployment is also central to Airtel Africa’s broader diversification strategy. The telecom group is actively expanding its revenue streams beyond traditional services, with subsidiaries now focused on data centers and digital advertising. Data services already account for a significant portion of its earnings, having generated $1.16 billion of the group’s $2.98 billion revenue in the first half of its 2026 fiscal year.
