In the last week of May, the expedition of the Enhanced Route Study (ERA) begins, which will map the terrain and conditions for the deployment of an underwater cable in the bed of the Amazon rivers for Infopath 00, a pilot project for the Connected North Program, of the Ministry of Communications (MCom). The deployment of Infopath 00 is being carried out by RNP and will connect the capital of Amapá, Macapá, to the cities Almeirim, Monte Alegre, Santarém, and Alenquer, of Pará.

RNP has been participating in the Connected North Program since December 2018, when the proposal for optical fiber infrastructure for broadband in the Amazon was presented. In October 2019, the proposal for underwater cables in an optical fiber infrastructure for broadband in the Amazon was discussed.

The year 2020 saw the structuring of a team, project planning, launching of bidding and environmental licensing processes, hydrographic survey, which includes the ERA - Enhanced Route Study, and underwater cable.

In this year of 2021, several other bidding processes were started, among them the one for the implementation of the underwater cable and public consultation to help define the contracting model for a Neutral Operator (ON) to operate, maintain, and commercially exploit Infopath 00 once it is deployed.

The importance of the Connected North Program lies in the fact that the North region of Brazil lacks technology. The creation of a underwater backbone in the environment and the installation of connectivity in public institutions located in remote areas will expand communications infrastructure in the Amazon Region and resolve the repressed demand.

The high capacity, reliability, and availability of the infrastructure will allow the expansion of Internet access, improving the security and redundancy of existing terrestrial networks in the region, allowing the outflow of data traffic from public institutions of education, health, public security, and justice, the Municipal, State, and Federal executive powers, as well as of Telecommunications Operators and local providers of broadband Internet access.

Among the objectives of the Connected North Program is the development of the HDI in the Amazon Basin, making the region a technological pole, and promoting integration with neighboring countries that make up the Pan Amazon: Peru, Colombia, and French Guiana. 

The Connected North Project, in total, will provide coverage of around 10,000 km based on the beds of the Amazon rivers (Negro, Solimões, Madeira, Juruá, and Rio Branco) and will connect 59 municipalities, servicing a population of around 9.2 million inhabitants. 

According to the LEV Brazil company, hired by RNP to carry out all activities necessary for the environmental and operational licensing of the project Infopath 00 of the program, the deployment of an underwater cable does not cause any environmental impact in the region. The deployment operation will avoid going through forest and indigenous reserves and environmental protection areas. 

The RNP communication channels will follow the expedition to prepare the ERA - Enhanced Route Study, and, later, the deployment of the cable for Infopath 00, through a Logbook, which will bring, already in the next few months, the report of the study to deploy the cable and can anticipate the transforming impact of technological integration in the Amazon region of the country.