Connected Amazônia

Nexans wins contract to bring high-speed connectivity to the Amazon region of Brazil

These cables bringing high-speed connectivity to remote communities in the region that will improve public health and education, as well as support sustainable growth - impacts in line with Nexans' commitment to leading the journey to a brighter future.

• Ecological cables are installed on river beds in the Amazon basin.
• The last contract for delivery in 2021 has an additional 620 km of fiber optic cables.
• The growing momentum in submarine cables has enabled Nexans STSC to build a record order backlog.

The Nexans division of special submarine cables and Telecom (STSC) continues to develop its relationship with the Brazilian Army and the Connected Amazon Program (PAC) to bring high-speed data connectivity to a remote and environmentally sensitive region of Brazil. The project involves the installation of fiber optic cables on the riverbed of the Amazon Basin.

In 2020, 470 km of submarine cables were delivered, totaling 1,170 km of total length already installed. This was followed by a contract for an additional 620 km of cables, expected to be delivered in 2021. The project is just one example of the growing momentum that allowed Nexans STSC to build a record order backlog by the end of 2020.

The Connected Amazon Project is a strategic initiative developed by the Brazilian Army, with the support of the country's Ministries of Defense, Health, Education and Communication. The general plan is to install approximately 6,000 km of subfluvial fiber optic cables in rivers in the Amazon region to provide an efficient and reliable internet connection. This will bring connectivity to more than 50 cities and 4.5 million people, providing opportunities to improve public health, education and support sustainable development.

Nexans has been involved since the beginning of the Amazon Connected project in 2015. Through the supply of non-repeated submarine fiber optic cables (URC-1) with a data transmission capacity of 100 GB / sec for the four phases concluded so far.

When delivered in 2021, the most recent contract will cover 1,790 km of cables, providing a perfect example of Nexans' commitment to leading the search for a brighter, more connected, accessible, secure and sustainable future.

As the project is taking place in an environmentally sensitive rainforest area, environmental factors are of critical importance. That is why the cables are being placed on the riverbed, instead of being installed in aerial towers that would need to cut down trees.

Nexans cables are designed to provide the latest in maintenance-free communication technology. Crucially, tests carried out by Brazilian authorities before approval confirmed that URC-1 cables would not emit a single particle of pollutant into the river.

General of the Brazilian Army, Decílio de Medeiros, Deputy Chief of the Department of Science and Technology, said: “This flagship project is bringing digital inclusion that will benefit the less favored populations of the Amazon region and those who live far from urban centers. It is very demanding technically and we appreciate the support of Nexans in providing advanced and highly reliable fiber optic cables. We were particularly impressed that Nexans ensured smooth delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic, overcoming travel and health restrictions through innovative procedures such as virtual testing, online training and live video streaming. ”

Record of Contracts

The most recent contract for the Amazon Connected Project is just one of many gains made by Nexans STSC at the end of 2020 with a record portfolio of contracts. The main contracts are for customers in South America, Asia-Pacific, Africa and Europe. They cover STSC's complete portfolio of diversified subsea products, covering control umbilicals and remotely operated vehicle cables (ROVs), for the power industry and fiber optic cables for the offshore telecommunications industry. All cables will be manufactured at the STSC plant in Rognan, Norway, with project execution and engineering divided between the plant and the Norwegian office in Oslo.

Krister Granlie, vice president of the STSC Division, said: “Nexans has a long history of underwater fiber optic projects since 1986, with more than 54,000 km of cables installed and in operation worldwide. We are very proud that our recent boost has enabled us to achieve a record order backlog. The key to this success is exemplified in the Amazon Connected Project - products that are technically excellent, supported by an unrelenting focus on customer service and delivery. ”