With the stated aim of laying the groundwork for a more connected and inclusive digital future, creating a high-capacity digital corridor connecting the Atlantic coast, Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea, the Medusa submarine cable system has revealed it is deploying Nokia coherent optics technology to deliver performance and capacity across two continents.
Owned by African infrastructure and telecoms operator AFR-IX Telecom, the Medusa Submarine Cable System is 8,760km long, and will be the first and longest subsea cable to connect the main Mediterranean countries, providing access to telecommunications infrastructure and 16 landing points around the Mediterranean Sea. The cable will have segments with up to 24 fibre pairs with a capacity of 20Tbs per fibre pair. Its festoon architecture is said to offer a unique design.
Medusa is seen as being crucial for developing the digital ecosystem of populations in North African countries, taking a significant step towards closing the digital divide between Europe and North Africa, connecting countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Egypt with high-capacity fibre-optic links to six European Union member states: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Cyprus.
The investment is expected to have a positive impact on the economy of these countries, which will lead to inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Operationally, Medusa will have two main regions: Europe and North Africa. In Europe, it has local operational branches in Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Cyprus. These branches hold licenses and permits. The Network Operations Centre is based in Europe. In North Africa, Medusa has agreements with local licensed operators for landing parties.
Designed as an open-access system, Medusa will look to offer telecom providers across the region with access to advanced connectivity services, supporting the roll-out of 5G, the growth of cloud infrastructure, and the increasing bandwidth demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and future technologies.
“Medusa is laying the groundwork for a more connected and inclusive digital future,” said Miguel Angel Acero, chief technology officer and founder of Medusa. “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 with Nokia ensures we meet the demands of today while building a strong, future-ready infrastructure for tomorrow.”
Using its 1830 GX Series platform and advanced ICE7 coherent optics, capable of transmitting tens of terabits per second per fibre pair, Nokia believes the Medusa subsea cable system is equipped to deliver high-capacity, low-latency connectivity with optimal cost and power efficiency per transmitted bit.
“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,” said John Harrington, senior vice-president and head of NI Europe, MEA and APAC sales at Nokia.
“At Nokia, we’re proud to support this transformative project, bridging continents and enabling the future of an AI-driven society.”
In March 2025, AFR-IX Telecom secured funding from the European Commission to support Medusa through the Connecting Europe Facility digital programme. This investment was said to mark a significant milestone in enhancing digital connectivity between Europe and Africa, fostering economic and technological development across the region.
