Telxius Deploys Nokia 800G Coherent Pluggable Optics Across Three Regions

Telxius is deploying 800G coherent pluggable optics from Nokia across its terrestrial transport networks in Europe, the United States and Latin America, Nokia announced on September 15, 2026, in a release datelined Madrid, Spain and Espoo, Finland. The deployment adds capacity across Telxius’ existing terrestrial infrastructure using IP-over-DWDM networking.

The companies describe the initiative as an evolution of Telxius’ high-capacity international network using next-generation IP-over-DWDM technology, undertaken in response to growing customer demand for scalable, high-capacity connectivity across key international network corridors. Cloud services, AI workloads and data center interconnection are driving rapid traffic growth across global networks, the announcement states, creating pressure for operators.

For the upgrade, Telxius is leveraging Nokia’s ICE-X 800G ZR/ZR+ coherent pluggable technology. The companies state the deployment enables Telxius to reduce power consumption, optimize space utilization and lower the cost of network expansion, while increasing network efficiency and simplifying operations to deliver resilient, high-performance connectivity for customers.

The deployment also utilizes Nokia network automation, giving Telxius greater visibility and control across its optical transport network. According to the announcement, the automation provides full visibility, fault and performance monitoring, and coordinated service provisioning, supporting faster operations and more predictable service quality for Telxius customers. Nokia’s release lists its Transcend Network Automation Suite and its 1830 Global Express compact modular transport platform among the product pages related to the announcement. Telxius published a matching statement on its news site the same day.

ICE-X 800G ZR/ZR+ Technology

Nokia’s official product documentation describes ICE-X 800G ZR/ZR+ as an evolution in coherent pluggable optical engines, providing what the vendor calls a cost-effective and power-efficient solution for the most demanding workloads across virtually any distance. ICE-X 800G ZR+ delivers 800G transmission over 1,700+ km in a low-power, pluggable form factor, the documentation states. The optics are supported in both QSFP-DD800 and OSFP form factors and leverage 3-nm-based CMOS technology.

According to Nokia, the platform combines open probabilistic constellation shaping, full programmability and multi-vendor interoperability, including system-level features. Nokia positions ICE-X 800G for high-capacity data center interconnect, scale-across, metro, long-haul and subsea network applications.

The coherent pluggables can be deployed in a variety of host devices, Nokia states, including routers — the IP-over-DWDM, or IPoDWDM, architecture Telxius is using — and thin transponders, reducing network complexity. Nokia also states that the compact coherent pluggables with multi-haul performance reduce equipment, power and space requirements, lowering the cost of expanding network capacity, and that multi-vendor interoperability and full programmability streamline operations, accelerate service activation and enhance troubleshooting.

BRUSA Subsea Trial

The terrestrial initiative builds on what the companies describe as a recent industry-record-setting demonstration of ICE-X 800G ZR+ coherent pluggable optics over Telxius’ BRUSA subsea cable system. The trial delivered 400Gb/s per wavelength across 5,600+ km, demonstrating the technology’s ability to support ultra-long-haul subsea infrastructure as well as terrestrial networks, according to the companies.

Jesús María Rubio, Chief Technology and Information Officer of Telxius, said: “At Telxius, we are continuously upgrading our international network to deliver the high-capacity, resilient and energy-efficient connectivity our customers need across the world’s main digital corridors.” He added that the deployment, together with the successful subsea trial on BRUSA, reinforces Telxius’ position at the forefront of optical innovation and underlines the company’s commitment to adopting advanced technologies early, especially when they bring clear benefits to customers and the global network.

Ron Johnson, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Optical Networks at Nokia, said AI workloads are driving unprecedented growth in traffic between hyperscale data centers and global network hubs, and that operators need transport solutions that combine scalability, efficiency and operational simplicity. “With Nokia’s ICE-X 800G ZR+ coherent pluggable technology and network automation solutions, Telxius can efficiently expand capacity across its terrestrial infrastructure, creating a high-performance foundation for data center interconnection and seamless connectivity between terrestrial and subsea networks,” he said.