Salgueiro is a city located in the central hinterland of Pernambuco, 500 km from the capital Recife. In November, the National Education and Research Network (RNP) activated the first underground fiber optic route in the stretch between Salgueiro and Recife. This route, in addition to the existing one, will improve the quality of connectivity in the interior of Pernambuco and intensify economic development and teaching and research activities in the region.

The new circuit, with a capacity of 10 Gb/s, is part of the Pernambuco Research and Education Network (RePEPE), a project by the State Government, which will provide greater network availability in the region.

According to the administrative coordinator of RNP's Point of Presence in Pernambuco, Zuleika Tenório, the connection to Salgueiro indirectly benefits other networks, such as Garanhuns and Petrolina, in Pernambuco, and institutions in the municipality of Paulo Afonso (BA).

"The redundancy is not just for the Salgueiro network, but for the entire RePEPE and, consequently, for several existing metropolitan networks, such as Caruaru and Belo Jardim, and, later, for future networks, such as Serra Talhada" , complements the person responsible for the project at RNP, Davi Borges.

The result was achieved by the optical channel exchange agreement between RNP and the operator Mob Telecom, accounting for more than 500 km of fiber.

Benefited institutions

In Salgueiro, the Federal University of Vale do São Francisco (Univasf) has just built a new campus, which will house the Production Engineering and Computer Science courses. About 160 students will benefit, as the unit will be connected at high speed with the main campus of Univasf, in Petrolina (PE).

The following teaching and research institutions that are part of RePEPE will also be interconnected, in 11 different sites: Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Federal University of Agreste of Pernambuco (UFAPE), Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Federal Institute of Bahia (IFBA), University of Pernambuco (UPE), Federal Institute of Pernambuco (IFPE) and University of the State of Bahia (UNEB). It is estimated that more than 14 thousand students will benefit.

As they are connected to RNP's infrastructure, these institutions will also be able to collaborate with other universities and research centers in Brazil and worldwide.

Economic development in Salgueiro

The municipality of Salgueiro is located in the interior of Pernambuco and has a strategic location: it is at the junction of the routes to Ceará, Piauí and Recife. With 55,000 inhabitants, the city grew by receiving workers for the São Francisco River transposition works.

It is also on the Transnordestina railroad route, a project by CSN and the Federal Government, with interconnection to Pecém, in Ceará, and the port of Suape, in Recife. The infrastructure will be important for the flow of agricultural production in the semi-arid region of the Northeast.