Bringing the broadband into the depths of Amazon region

Prysmian will provide 400 km of optical cables to connect 12 municipalities in the Brazilian state of Parà, linking 600,000 people with the broadband

For centuries water has been the main communication network in the State of Pará, one of the Amazonian states in Brazil. Rivers are indeed a primary resource for the region, as also revealed by the State's name, coming from the Pará River, one of the tributaries of the Amazon River.

One of the most important watercourses of the state is Xingu, among the largest clearwater rivers in the Amazon basin. People living by Xingu will soon benefit from another communication network, as the federal government and the government of Pará planned to bring the broadband to 12 municipalities in the region.

The project, known as Xingu Conectado, is aimed at connecting 600,000 people at 10Gbps capacity. It is being deployed by PRODEPA, state-owned telco Telebràs, and development agency of Pará, which chose Prysmian as fibre optic supplier: the Group will provide 400 km of optical cables produced in the plant of Sorocaba, São Paulo.

Prysmian’s Brazilian facility of Sorocaba is becoming a key centre for production of fibre optics in South America, as the Group has announced to invest of $5.7 million for the expansion and modernisation of the plant. Sorocaba can manufacture both fibre optic and optical cables and Prysmian has already invested about $16 million for production line revamping during the last three years, making it the largest manufacturing complex in Latin America in this segment.

Thanks to the new investment, production at Sorocaba will rise from the current three to four million kilometres of fibre per year

"The Sorocaba plant will have the best fibre optic technology currently available at Prysmian Group. Besides supplying South America, Sorocaba products could also be exported to other sites of the Group."

Marcello Del Brenna

CEO Prysmian South America

Prysmian’s investment at Sorocaba is aimed at two purposes: to meet the growing demand for fibre optic infrastructure and optical cables, especially in regions away from the country's large urban centres, and to enable the Group to strengthen its presence throughout the market, with special attention paid to the growing importance of small and medium-sized regional broadband internet providers.

Strengthening its optical fibre and cable manufacturing capability is priority for Prysmian, which recently launched a 3-year, €250 million investment plan aimed at improving the Group’s production capacity worldwide, to meet the growing demand for optical cables for the deployment of new high-speed telecommunications networks.