This Wednesday (8/17), the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) carried out a technical visit to the State University of Santa Cruz (Uesc), in Ilhéus (BA), for the inauguration of the connection to the Gigasul network, a high-speed network built by the National Education and Research Network (RNP).

The Gigasul network will provide high-speed internet to teaching and research institutions in Ilhéus, Itabuna and Uruçuca, in southern Bahia. These cities will be connected to RNP's Point of Presence in Salvador, and subsequently to the national academic network, the Ipê network. This means that Uesc students will be able to collaborate in the future with institutions in Brazil and abroad in teaching and research activities.

According to the Uesc professor and coordinator of the GigaSul network, Gesil Sampaio, the project has existed since 2010 and the implementation of the optical fiber network began in 2022, with the support of RNP. In addition to the regional ring, connecting Ilhéus, Itabuna and Uruçuca, these cities will have metropolitan networks, in which various public bodies, such as city halls and hospitals, will be able to connect.

In this first stage, the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology (IFBA); the IFBaiano, the Federal University of Southern Bahia (UFSB) and the Center for Research and Technological Development in Informatics and Electroelectronics of Ilhéus (Cepedi) and the Executive Committee of the Cocoa Crop Plan (CEPLAC).

Also according to the coordinator of the Gigasul network, a feature of the project will be to connect institutions that have Research and Development activities with technology parks.

In addition to the MCTI minister, Paulo Alvim, the Dean of Uesc, Alessandro Fernandes de Santana, participated in the delivery of the Gigasul network connection; RNP's Director of Engineering and Operations, Eduardo Grizendi; the president of Softex, Ruben Delgado; the representative of the State Department of Science, Technology and Innovation of Bahia (Secti-BA), Grinaldo Lopes de Oliveira; and representing the rectory of UFSB, professor Fabrício Forgerini.