Infovia 00, a pilot project of the Norte Conectado Program, which is part of the Sustainable Integrated Amazon Program (PAIS), is already operational. Installation of the equipment was completed in June, and then, in the first week of July, Ibama granted the environmental license for the operation.

The infovia, implemented by the National Education and Research Network (RNP), connects the cities of Macapá (AP) and Santarém (PA), with openings in the Pará municipalities of Almeirim, Monte Alegre and Alenquer, all located on the banks of the Amazon River. There are 770 km of sub-river optical fiber cable, with the capacity to bring high-speed internet to around 1 million inhabitants in the region.

Operation and maintenance will be the responsibility of a Neutral Operator in the form of a consortium, which currently has six (6) companies – including operators and providers. The consortium will share this infrastructure, aiming at an abundant supply of telecommunications services to the region.  

Other companies will be able to join the consortium and make use of this infrastructure. In August, RNP will reopen the process for new participants. “It is expected that, with so many companies making use of this optical infrastructure, the quality will improve significantly, as it is optical fiber, and prices will also drop significantly, as there are several competitors offering services to the population of the region”, said the Director of Engineering and Operations at RNP, Eduardo Grizendi.

Infovia 01 is scheduled for March 2023

After the onset of Infovia 00 operations, the next one to be implemented is Infovia 01, which connects Manaus to Santarém. This time, the implementation is being carried out by the company EAD – Seja Digital, expected to be completed in March 2023. 

RNP, as a member of the Management Committee, was summoned to structure the open consortium for the Neutral Operator of the new infoway, based on the model used in the pilot project. The qualification process for operators and providers interested in sharing Infovia 01's infrastructure should be launched in August. 

To improve this model, RNP submitted the Term of Reference to public consultation, which establishes the conditions for qualifying operators and providers potentially using Infovia 01 (Manaus-Santarém). 

The public consultation opened last Tuesday (12) and runs until July 29. The document calling on the market to make its contributions can be accessed here. 

To help those interested in presenting suggestions, RNP will also promote a virtual workshop on Tuesday (19), from 10 am to 12 pm, with transmission via Web Conference service.