Nokia acquires Rapid tech assets, takes Ionian submarine cable to 800Gbps

Leading comms tech provider Nokia has made advances in current and future key business lines acquiring technology and R&D unit of leading API hub Rapid to strengthen development of network API solutions and ecosystem. It also announced that, in partnership with Islalink, it has achieved a record 800Gbps capacity-reach over the Ionian submarine cable between Greece and Italy.

Rapid was founded in 2015 by Iddo Gino, who had the vision of creating an efficient and quick way to discover and use the wide range of application programming interfaces (APIs) available. Rapid’s technology assets include its research and development unit and “the world’s largest API hub”, used by four million active developers globally who find, test and connect to tens of thousands of APIs with a single account. In addition to the enterprise-grade API hub, Rapid’s API technology includes a public marketplace and enterprise services.

The acquisition is intended to build on Nokia’s strategy of expanding its network API product roadmap to gain leadership of a growing API ecosystem of operators, systems integrators, independent software vendors (ISVs), and hyperscalers to use 5G and 4G network capabilities and monetise network assets and core capabilities.

Nokia believes that following massive investments in 5G, operators are increasingly exposing their network functions in a standardised way to developers so they can build and sell new consumer, enterprise and industrial applications.

Financial details of the agreement have yet to be disclosed, but Nokia has confirmed that it will integrate Rapid’s API technology with its Network as Code platform to enable operators to integrate their networks, actively control API usage and exposure, enhance API lifecycle management and collaborate with Rapid’s global developer base on its public API marketplace. 

Since launching the Network as Code platform in September 2023, Nokia has gained significant momentum with 27 partners globally, including BT, DISH, Google Cloud, Infobip, Orange, Telefonica, and Telecom Argentina.

“Operators need a bridge to connect to thousands of developers to drive enterprise and consumer value creation and monetise their networks,” said Raghav Sahgal, president of cloud and network services at Nokia. “Rapid’s technology and talented R&D team, together with Nokia, will allow us to bring a robust API infrastructure platform to accelerate network API-related product development and drive adoption across its broad global developer community.”

Meanwhile, in the field of fixed assets, Nokia is claiming to have achieved a significant milestone by successfully testing its sixth-generation Photonic Service Engine (PSE-6s) over an unrepeated 330km submarine in the Ionian network connecting Crotone in Italy with Preveza in Greece.

Launched by Islalink, the Ionian fibre route cable connects the two countries through the submarine link and two terrestrial rings, where band C+L is used (9,6 THz), that connect and give redundancy to the main cities in Italy (Milan and Rome) and in Greece (Athens and Thessaloniki). In addition, 1Tbps has been successfully tested in both terrestrial routes of Greece: the south route (452 km), Preveza-Athens; and the north route (975 km), Preveza-Thessaloniki-Athens.

The field trial is said to represent a new capacity-reach record for 800Gbps transmission over the Ionian cable system. In addition, the Nokia technology is said to have delivered a 60% reduction in network power consumption per bit, contributing to more sustainable operations.

“This successful trial proves that the Ionian network, powered by Nokia’s PSE-6s, is ready to support the next generation of high-speed digital services,” said Islalink CEO Esther Garcés. “Our customers, including tech giants, will benefit from unprecedented capacity, reliability, and efficiency, further enhancing Islalink’s positioning as a key player in the international fibre market.”