After final environmental nod, Brazil activates 770km Amazon fiber route

Brazil activated Infovia 00, the first stretch of its landmark Amazon river fiber project called Norte Conectado.

Environmental watchdog Ibama granted the full permit for the 770km route in the first week of July, the country’s national research and educational network (RNP) said.

RNP was responsible for the first stretch due to its expertise with backbone connectivity and because the government wanted to test the model. 

The Norte Conectado project was created by the federal government with the goal of expanding communications infrastructure in the Amazon region through an underwater fiber backbone, composed of eight stretches, to be rolled out along rivers in the Amazon basin.

From a structural perspective, Infovia 00 was ready to go live since May, as RNP’s director of engineering and operations, Eduardo Grizendi, told BNamericas on the occasion.

RNP had already installed Infovia 00's DWDM system, the technology that lights the fiber backbone for transmission. It also installed all the other parts of the system, including the access networks (from the backbone to the localities), landing stations, modular datacenters and related equipment.

Apart from final environmental clearance, contract formalization with the consortium that will operate and maintain the network was pending. 

This group is formed by Telefônica Brasil as the anchor telecom operator and ISPs BRDigital, Wirelink, ICOM, SEA Telecom and Aquamar.

Another operator and one more telecom services company were interested in joining the consortium, Grizendi previously said.

In its statement, RNP confirmed that the process will be reopened to new participants in August.

This consortium will share the infrastructure, aiming at an abundant supply of telecommunications services in the region.

INFOVIA 01

RNP confirmed that the second stretch of Norte Conectado, Infovia 01, will start operations next March.

According to RNP, the qualification process for operators and providers interested in sharing the infrastructure of this second stretch will also be launched in August.

While RNP has a representative at Norte Conectado’s steering committee, the entity will not be the coordinator of Infovia 01 or of the program’s subsequent stretches.

EAD (Seja Digital) will be in charge of Infovia 01. The group comprises telcos and broadcasters to oversee the application of resources related to TV digitization as part of the 2014 700MHz spectrum auction obligations.

BNamericas previously reported that EAD hired Chinese fiber optics manufacturer Hengtong as the cable supplier for the second stretch. Italy's Prysmian was the supplier for Infovia 00.

Founded in 1991, Hengtong is the controlling shareholder of HMN, formerly Huawei Marine Networks (HMN), the spun-off subsidiary of China's Huawei.

Hengtong also has a manufacturing site in Pouso Alegre in Minas Gerais state, where the fiber for Infovia 01 is being manufactured.