The President of the Republic Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participated in the inauguration, this Monday morning (8/7), of Infovia 01, which connects Manaus (AM) to Santarém (PA). With investments of R$165 million, the infovia is the second to be inaugurated by the Ministry of Communications and passes through nine municipalities in the Amazon region, potentially benefiting up to 3 million inhabitants. 

The president visited the Abaré hospital ship, which belongs to the Federal University of Western Pará (Ufopa), from where he held a videoconference transmitted via the Web Conference service to two health units, in Parintins and Manaus (AM), and the location of the ceremony, at Ufopa. The Abaré vessel has a structure for clinical and dental care along the rivers and will now have full-time connectivity via a satellite antenna installed by RNP.

The Minister of Health Nísia Trindade announced that, with Infovia 01, it will be possible to connect the Basic Health Units in the region. “When we talk about connectivity, we talk about a meaning for people and health, it is one of the greatest meanings of this connection. On the Abaré hospital ship, it will be possible to serve riverside people in a very qualified way”, stated Health Minister Nísia Trindade.

With a length of 1,100 km, Infovia 01 connects Manaus to Santarém, passing through nine cities - Óbidos, Juriti, Oriximiná and Terra Santa, in Pará, Parintins, Urucurituba, Itacoatiara and Autazes, in Amazonas. The implementation was carried out by the company EAD – Seja Digital, also responsible for building metropolitan networks in each of these nine municipalities, which will connect public bodies, such as schools, hospitals and units of the Judiciary.

According to the Minister of Communications, Juscelino Filho, infovias 02, 03 and 04 will be completed this year, connecting Belém to Macapá, Tefé to Tabatinga and Vila de Moura to Boa Vista (RR). Infovia 01 may also have a connection with the Amazon Biotechnology Center (CBA), located in Manaus.

“We intend to develop public policies with the Amazon Biotechnology Center using fiber optic pairs from these infoways, for the purpose of sensing and monitoring this region, and also promoting digital inclusion. We understand that it will not be possible to transform our biodiversity into new businesses without connectivity”, declared Communications Minister Juscelino Filho.

The dean of Ufopa, Aldenize Xavier, stated that the Program helps to repair a historical debt due to lack of investment in the Amazon. "Connectivity is citizenship and we often lack opportunities because they don't reach the Amazon", declared Aldenize.

President Lula also highlighted that in 2025, Belém do Pará will host the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 30), where solutions to the climate crisis will be discussed.

About the Norte Conectado Program

The initiative is part of the Sustainable Integrated Amazon Program (PAIS), of the Ministry of Communications (MCom), and aims to expand the communications infrastructure in the Amazon region, for access to high-speed internet via fiber optics. With the implementation of eight sub-river optical infoways, the program expects to achieve a total coverage of around 10 thousand km, connecting 58 municipalities directly, and serving a population of around 10 million inhabitants.

RNP participates in the Management Committee of the Sustainable Integrated Amazon Program (PAIS), being responsible for the formation of the Open Consortium of the Neutral Operator of Infovia 01. RNP was also executor of Infovia 00, a pilot project that connected Macapá to Santarém, passing through five cities.