Nokia to build next-generation optical transport network in several African countries

Nokia will build a next-generation optical transport network connecting Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa on behalf of Liquid Intelligent Technologies (LIT), a leading connectivity, innovation and intelligent technology company across 13 African countries.

The Finland-based company has been selected by LIT for the deployment and per the deal, Nokia will build a first-of-its-kind terrestrial network connecting submarine landing stations in Kenya, South Africa and DRC to create a highway with the potential to handle massive traffic across the Sub-Saharan African continent, reports say.

The Finnish telecom company will equally deploy 145 nodes of 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) in the seven countries with a total design capacity up to 12 Terabits per second. Once launched, the new, advanced optical transport backbone will enable LIT to address the growing demand for capacity and deliver submarine traffic to landlocked countries at an affordable cost.

LIT’s new optical backbone covers the sites with a colorless and flexgrid ROADM network for improved agility and flexibility. The Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) feature of the new optical transport network will help reduce network disruptions by enabling automatic rerouting to alternate paths as needed.

“Internet giants, established cloud service providers and other mega-organizations are demanding hyper scale data centers that can support high levels of performance, spikes in demand, and redundancy while enabling massive availability,” Shahzad Manzoor Khan, Group Chief Technology Officer at LIT said.

“Our new terrestrial fiber corridor is the first of its kind in Africa in terms of distance and capacity. We are thrilled to partner with Nokia on this prestigious project which will transform Africa’s digital infrastructure and propel the region’s economy.”

Rajiv Aggarwal, Head of Central East and West Africa (CEWA) Market Unit at Nokia, said: “Nokia’s next-generation optical network will enable Liquid Intelligent Technologies to maintain its leadership position and emerge as a preferred partner of organizations requiring massive capacity.

“We are delighted that our technology and expertise will help Liquid Intelligent Technologies provide the best-in-class digital infrastructure to Africa’s enterprises and will play a role in strengthening the digital infrastructure of the continent.”
Founded in 2004 LIT operates primarily Eastern, Central and Southern Africa and brands itself as the company that is building a digital future for Africa.