Airtel Africa has announced a landmark partnership with global technology giant Nokia to build what could become one of the largest high capacity terrestrial fibre networks in East and Central Africa, a project expected to redefine regional connectivity and accelerate Africa’s digital transformation.
The ambitious infrastructure initiative, unveiled during the AfricaCom 2025 connectivity conference in Cape Town, will be implemented through Telesonic, Airtel Africa’s fibre optic subsidiary. The project aims to interconnect multiple countries across the region and directly link them to the 2Africa subsea cable, forming a seamless data corridor from the coast into the continent’s interior.
According to the chief executive officer, Airtel Telesonic, PD Sarma, the network will deploy Nokia’s 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) technology, capable of delivering up to 38 terabits per second (Tbps). The system is built on Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology and is C+L band ready, meaning it can support exponential growth in data traffic over time.
“This partnership positions Airtel Africa as a key driver of digital inclusion,” The new fibre route will offer ultra high speed, low latency connectivity that opens up new opportunities for businesses, governments and communities.” He added.
The planned network will stretch across strategic routes in East and Central Africa, linking coastal submarine landing points to major inland hubs such as Kampala, Kigali, Nairobi and Kinshasa. The goal, according to Nokia executives, is to create a highway of light that will enable faster, more resilient and affordable data transmission across borders.
For Uganda and other land locked countries, the project promises direct access to global internet backbones without relying on multiple intermediary routes potentially reducing connectivity costs and improving service quality.
Airtel Africa’s investment comes at a time when demand for broadband services on the continent is soaring, driven by rapid smartphone adoption, online education, digital trade, and the growth of video based content. Industry analysts project that mobile data traffic in sub-Saharan Africa will increase more than fivefold in the next decade.
The initiative also aligns with Airtel Africa’s broader strategy to expand its wholesale data business, complementing its mobile and Airtel Money services across 14 African markets. Telesonic, established as a dedicated fibre infrastructure arm in 2024, is expected to lease capacity to telecom operators, internet service providers, and large enterprises.
Nokia, on the other hand, sees the project as a significant milestone in extending advanced optical technologies to Africa. “The scale of this deployment will place East and Central Africa among the world’s fastest-growing digital regions,” the company noted.
The Airtel and Nokia partnership represents a transformative investment in Africa’s digital infrastructure, offering unprecedented data capacity and resilience. As the first strands of the fibre network are laid, the project is poised to bridge the connectivity gap between coastal and inland economies, lighting up East and Central Africa with the promise of a faster smarter future.