Nokia Supplies Medusa Cable to Enhance Digital Connectivity Between North Africa and Europe
Nokia has been selected to provide the technological equipment for the Medusa submarine cable as part of a massive project led by AFR-IX Telecom. This initiative aims to connect the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, strengthening communication between Europe and North Africa.
The Medusa cable stretches over 8,700 kilometers and includes 16 landing points in several countries, including Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, and Egypt, making it the longest cable in the Mediterranean basin. The project aims to accelerate digital transformation in the region by providing high-performance infrastructure to support fifth-generation requirements, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.
Through this project, Nokia is supplying its 1830 Global Express (GX) and ICE7 optical transport technologies, enabling the transfer of dozens of terabytes per second for each pair of fiber, reducing response times and achieving high energy efficiency.
Construction of the project began in 2023, with the participation of Alcatel Submarine Networks and Elettra Tlc, while Orange is providing the landing infrastructure in France, Tunisia, and Morocco. A gradual commissioning of the cable is expected to start in 2024, with full operation anticipated by the end of 2025.
This contract reflects Nokia’s status as a strategic provider of transcontinental infrastructure, despite selling the majority of its stake in ASN to the French government in 2024 while retaining a 20% share to ensure continuity.
The Medusa project aims to bridge the digital divide between the two shores by providing faster and more reliable connections for millions of users, thereby supporting innovation, economic growth, and enhancing digital competitiveness in North Africa.
