The State of Amapá, which had access to the academic network through radio communication, became connected, like the other Brazilian states, to the nation-wide backbone by optic fiber. The 100 Mb/s-circuit between the cities of Belém and Macapá was connected in March by operator CompuService.

With the engagement, there is no point of presence left unconnected to the Ipê network by optic fiber, which ensures quality internet to the teaching and research institutions in the Northern region as well.

The institutions benefited by the fiber include the Federal University of Amapá (Ueap), the Scientific and Technological Research Institute of the State of Amapá (Iepa) and the Brazilian Company of Research on Agriculture and Cattle Raising (Embrapa).

RNP’s Point of Presence in Amapá (PoP-AP) is now served at 250 Mb/s, 100 by fiber and 150 by radio, with the possibility of upgrading to 300 Mb/s over the next few months. “The engagement is a milestone for the Northern region, and a great step towards the gigatization of the Ipê network, which now serves all states, even remote sites, by multiple gigabits”, RNP’s Engineering and Operations director, Eduardo Grizendi, states.

The optic fiber that serves the PoP-AP is the same as in Linhão de Tucuruí, with an extension of 1.8 thousand kilometers, which takes electricity from the Tucuruí hydroelectric power plant, in the State of Pará, to the capital city, Macapá, passing through the city of Manaus (State of Amazonas). The cable crosses the Amazonas River by air, in the city of Jurapari (State of Pará), through 300-meter high towers. “The circuit was activated in a fiber that passes alongside the electricity cables”, the network engineer that coordinated the project, Oswaldo Alves, explains.