European energy company E.On has joined forces with Nokia in a five-year collaboration to modernise telecommunications networks for energy distribution operators.

Under the E.On group-wide frame contract, Germany will become the first country to deploy a high-efficiency telecommunications network for distribution system operators (DSOs) designed to cut energy consumption up to 50% while boosting grid security and resilience.

The renewed network infrastructure should increase E.On’s ability to grow in telecommunications services and respond quickly to service incidents.

E.On selected Nokia’s complete network across optical, IP and fibre domains, laying the foundation for future advancements, including support for Europe’s sustainability goals for quantum-safe networks.

The renewal starts across Germany and creates an optimised, automated telecommunications network for DSOs, which can be a model for other E.On affiliates in Europe.

E.On plays a key role in Germany’s energy transition. Its distribution grid already connects 1.4 million renewable energy plants, making the performance, flexibility and sustainability of its communications infrastructure critical. A key pillar is the IP, optical and fixed access part of its DSO telecommunications network.

With the Nokia-powered network and its chipsets, E.On should benefit from reduced energy consumption of up to 50% compared with its existing IP and optical infrastructure, while improving scalability, operational flexibility, responsiveness and service continuity. Nokia’s fixed access fibre offers a future-proof, flexible alternative that is easy to upgrade to 25G PON and beyond.

The infrastructure should enhance security and resilience, aligning with critical infrastructure requirements and increasing E.On’s ability to respond quickly to service incidents without interruption. Nokia’s full-stack delivery across optical, IP and fibre domains also lays the foundation for future advancements, including support for quantum-safe networks.

“Modernising our network and harmonising our technical infrastructure are crucial moves to ensure E.On continues to deliver secure, reliable and energy-efficient services across Europe,” said Lars Ramelow from E.On. “We’re investing in a next-generation telecommunications network that is ready for future demands operationally, technologically and environmentally. Nokia is a trusted long-term supplier, and its ability to support our network makes it the right choice as we scale our digital transformation.

Eleftherios Papadopoulos, managing director for Nokia in Germany, added: “Our long-standing relationship with E.On reflects a shared commitment to building secure, efficient and future-ready networks. As a European company with global reach, Nokia brings the scale, security standards and domain expertise needed to support critical national infrastructure. What sets this project apart is the ability to deliver across all key domains as a single vendor. That end-to-end capability, combined with high-quality platforms and proven experience in mission-critical environments and telecommunications, perfectly positions us to enable E.On to digitise its grids in Germany.”

Under the agreement, Nokia (www.nokia.com) will deliver a suite of networking products to E.On (www.eon.com), including IP routing and switching, optical transport, fixed broadband access, and network automation.

• Nokia’s secure mission-critical private networks are being combined with OneLayer (www.onelayer.com) OT asset management to help utilities modernise grids with secure 5G/LTE, enabling deeper device visibility, improved operational efficiency and stronger security across private cellular networks in the growing 5G/LTE market.