Padtec wins tender to provide DWDM solution for new Norte Conectado program's routes

By Padtec

This is a machine translation of the original press release issued in Portuguese

Campinas/SP, September 11, 2023 – PADTEC HOLDING SA announces that it will be the supplier of the DWDM solution for sub-river networks, built in the beds of the main rivers of the Amazon Basin, of the next three phases of the Norte Conectado program, of the Ministry of Communications (MCom) – Infovias 02, 03 and 04. The Company won the competition conducted by Entidade Administradora de Faixa (EAF) – a non-governmental and non-profit entity created by determination of Anatel and responsible for implementing six Infovias – which it chose suppliers for the new sections of the high-capacity sub-river network being built in the North of the country.

Operated by a consortium of telecommunications companies, the Norte Conectado program aims to expand access to broadband services in the Amazon region, promoting the digital inclusion of the population. To this end, it is planned to implement a total of 12 thousand kilometers of eight infoways along the rivers of the Amazon, connecting more than 50 cities in the states of the region to serve more than 7 million inhabitants. Two of them have already been implemented: Infovias 00 and 01.

“The three new infoways will be more than 2 thousand kilometers long and will connect municipalities in the states of Amazonas, Amapá, Pará and Roraima”, says Leandro Guerra, CEO of EAF. “It is a unique project in the history of Brazil and telecommunications in the world”, highlights the executive.

The first to be built will be Infovia 04, which will connect the Vila de Moura community, in the municipality of Barcelos (AM), to the capital Boa Vista, in Roraima, through the beds of the Negro and Branco rivers. Infovia 02 will be the longest of the three, with more than 1,200 kilometers crossing the bed of the Solimões River, connecting the cities of Tefé and Atalaia do Norte, in Amazonas, and passing through municipalities such as Tabatinga, in the interior of the state. Infovia 03 will connect the capitals Macapá (AP) and Belém (PA), passing through municipalities in Pará.

Developed and manufactured in Brazil, the DWDM solutions provided by Padtec for the Norte Conectado program provide multi-channel transmission rates of 100, 200 and 400 Gb/s, ensuring a high-capacity communication network for the entire region.

Argemiro Sousa, director of Equipment Operations at Padtec, recalls that the Company has been the supplier of DWDM products for the federal government's initiative since its first phase, in 2014, with the networks built by the Brazilian Army in the Connected Amazon Program (PAC) and, later, for Infovias 00 and 01.

“We are pleased to contribute, once again, to the advancement of connectivity in the North region, with state-of-the-art DWDM equipment. After all, among other benefits, connectivity brings regional development, by allowing effective integration between the different regions of the country and the world”, says the executive.

Padtec will also be the services arm in the project, responsible for the installation, characterization and commissioning of the DWDM optical network.

“By offering a complete service solution, which involves everything from system planning to installation, operation and maintenance of networks, we add value to our delivery and provide more security and comfort to our customers”, highlights Argemiro Sousa. Currently, to provide field support to its customers, Padtec has 40 points of presence distributed across Brazil, Argentina and Colombia.