Brazil’s Norte Conectado program inspires EU fiber plan for River Nile

The EU is considering replicating the under-river fiber backbone model that is being developed by Brazil in the Amazon river and its tributaries in the African Nile, Oswaldo Alves, strategic project manager at network and research firm RNP, told BNamericas.

RNP is linked to the ministry of science, technology and innovation (MCTI) and is responsible for the pilot stretch of the Norte Conectado (PAIS) subfluvial fiber program, Infovia 00.

“This contact was initially made at an event of European academic networks. The EU traditionally invests heavily in other academic networks, such as RedClara in Latin America and networks in the Caribbean,” Alves told BNamericas on the sidelines of the Netcom network infrastructure event in São Paulo.

Alves is planning virtual meetings with EU representatives to explain the Norte Conectado program.

NEW BRAZIL NOD

In Brazil, three Infovias have been launched under the program: the Infovia 00 pilot stretch, Infovia 01 and Infovia 03, which was deployed in March.

Italy’s Prysmian was the cable supplier for Infovia 00. Chinese fiber optics manufacturer Hengtong was hired as the supplier for Infovia 01.

The cable for Infovia 03 was manufactured by China’s ZTT International Submarine Cable & System, while Brazil’s Padtec supplied the system’s optical DWDM solution.

RNP is part of the management board of the Norte Conectado program, but was directly responsible only for Infovia 00.

Infovia 01 is the responsibility of EAD, an entity created by telcos to manage resources related to commitments linked to the 4G auction. Infovia 03 and subsequent routes are the responsibility of Associação Administradora da Faixa de 3.5GHz (EAF).

EAF was formed by the telcos that submitted winning bids in the 2021 auction for 5G spectrum. The group oversees part of the auction investment obligations, including building backbones for the Amazon network project.

On July 12, EAD received the installation license (LI) from environmental watchdog Ibama for Infovia 02. The stretch already had the preliminary license (LP) from the agency, and now only lacks the operating license (LO). 

Alves hopes that this permit will be issued soon. The licensing process for the Norte Conectado networks was delayed due to a strike by Ibama employees.

Infovia 04, in turn, just received the preliminary license, which is the first one issued by Ibama.

RNP estimates that, after all the permits are received, the process of deploying Infovia 04 along the Negro and Branco rivers will take 11 days. The deployment estimate for Infovia 02 is 29 days.

The required studies for Infovias 05, 06 and 08 must still be submitted to Ibama and the navy.

EAF is also currently finalizing the process of contracting cable and optical equipment suppliers for these routes. 

BNamericas has learned that a Chinese supplier, such as ZTT or Hengtong, is favored.

Overall, the Norte Conectado program is budgeted at US$350mn, contemplating several Infovias totaling 12,000km and connecting 77 localities in Brazil’s north. 

The program includes two routes previously launched by the army, one of which became Infovia 07.

Infovia 02 is budgeted at US$30mn and will cover 1,100km, Infovia 04 involves US$25mn and 600km, Infovia 05 US$40mn and 1,178km, Infovia 06 US$60mn and 2,774km and Infovia 08 US$70mn and over 3,000km.

BACKBONES IN STATES

RNP is also coordinating projects of Infovias Estaduais, or fiber backbones in Brazilian states, as part of the government’s PAC investment program.

RNP is developing 19 of these fiber backbones. The estimated investment is 250mn reais (US$44.1mn) between 2023 and 2026, with the estimate of reaching 40,000km of fiber by 2026.

Not all of this network will be built by RNP. The company relies on partners and existing infrastructure, which it also shares with ISPs, and it uses the optical ground wire cables of power transmission networks.

Overall, RNP has 15,000km of illuminated fiber optics in the country, not counting the partner programs of Infovias Estaduais and Norte Conectado, and the forecast is to reach more than 20,000km by 2026. 

According to Alves, the main focus is to use existing infrastructure rather than conducting greenfield construction.

In the second quarter, RNP released the terms of reference for selecting partners for the fiber networks in the states of Acre, Bahia, Maranhão, Paraíba, Piauí and Rondônia. 

The process for Tocantins was launched in Q1 and RNP is negotiating with suppliers.

In the second half of this year, RNP intends to launch the selection processes for the networks in Alagoas, Amapá, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Pará, Pernambuco, Paraná, Roraima, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states. 

The latest state to join the program was Rio de Janeiro, according to the executive. 

Fiber deployment for some of these Infovias is expected to start this year.