New Delhi, Sept. 24 -- Telecom gear maker Nokia on Wednesday announced a partnership with Indian fibre networking services provider Microscan Infocommtech to deploy its optical networking solutions across Microscan's dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) backbone in Mumbai and Pune. The move is aimed at addressing rising bandwidth demand from enterprises, hyperscalers, financial institutions and OTT providers.
The metro and regional backbone will be powered by Nokia's Photonic Service Engine (PSE) technology and its 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) with CDC-F 2.0 architecture, capable of delivering 400G+ wave services. Nokia said the cloud-optimised platform will enable Microscan to build a more resilient and cost-efficient network while unlocking new use cases for hyperscaler and enterprise customers.
Sandeep Donde, founder and managing director of Microscan, said the deployment will not only enhance customer experience but also improve resilience against fibre cuts, a persistent challenge in Indian networks. "Starting with Maharashtra, we plan to build a nationwide NLD (National Long Distance) network to gain a crucial edge in addressing the ever-increasing bandwidth demands of our customers," Donde said, adding that the backbone will help deliver higher service-level agreements (SLAs) and enable new enterprise applications.
Vito Di Maria, vice president of optical networks at Nokia Asia Pacific, said the partnership will help Microscan scale efficiently and prepare for future growth.
Founded in 1999, Mumbai-based Microscan began as an internet services provider catering to businesses in the financial capital before expanding into enterprise-grade connectivity solutions. Over the years, it has positioned itself as a regional telecom infrastructure player with a strong presence in western India. Its clientele includes leading banks, trading firms, media companies and global technology providers that rely on low-latency and high-capacity networks. The company has been expanding its optical fibre footprint in Maharashtra and Gujarat to cater to the increasing digitalisation needs of enterprises and data-driven businesses.
The deal also reinforces Nokia's growing focus on India, one of its key global markets. The Finnish equipment maker, which has been present in the country for three decades, recently said it plans to expand its R&D operations locally by adding talent and strengthening skilling initiatives. Nokia has been working with Indian telecom operators, data centres and enterprises to accelerate 5G rollouts, cloud adoption and optical backbone expansion.
With data consumption and digital transactions continuing to surge, a robust backbone infrastructure will be critical to India's digital economy ambitions, the companies said, adding that the Nokia-Microscan partnership is expected to play a role in enabling that shift in western India and beyond.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from TechCircle.