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Private sector will help Internet2

O Globo

Suzana Liskauskas

09.27.1999

OnIn the second half of October, with the signing of an agreement with the U.S., Brazil officially enters the Internet2 project. During an interview in his office in Rio de Janeiro, José Luiz Ribeiro Filho, Project Manager of the National Research Network (RNP), explains how Brazil is complying with this new worldwide computer network, which will essentially be geared to the academic and scientific communities.

How is Internet2 being structured in Brazil?

JOSÉ LUIZ RIBEIRO FILHO: In October 1997, the National Research Network (RNP) and the Theme-Oriented Research and Development Program in Computer Science (ProTem-CC), with the backing of the National Council for the Development of Science and Technology (CNPq), put out a Call for Proposals of "High-Speed Metropolitan Networking Projects (ReMAVs)". As a result, 12 consortia were chosen. By the beginning of this year, practically all the consortia had signed agreements with CNPq. This enabled them to receive grants for the procurement of technical staff, equipment (the greater part offered by IBM according to an agreement with MCT as beneficiaries of the Computer Program Law) and financial resources (R$50 thousand for each consortium) provided by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee. The closing down of the Foundation for the Support of Research in Maranhão (Fapema), leader of the São Luis Remav, resulted in a new selection process, which yielded three proposals: the consortia from Belo Horizonte, Brasília and João Pessoa. RNP will now promote the interconnection of networks set up by the consortia in the respective cities at 34 Megabits per second (Mbps). This high-speed backbone will be linked to Internet2 in the U.S.

How will this connection be made?

JOSÉ LUIZ: The entryway should be in Chicago, at Startap, a kind of hub created by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to house international networks that wish to link up to Internet2. The exit point in Brazil has not been defined yet. We will request an international channel of 34 Mbps from Embratel. The connection of this channel will depend on the activation of the new Americas 2 optic fiber cable, which should be on the air in April.

How far along are the Remav consortia?

JOSÉ LUIZ: The project is made up of three stages: deployment and interconnection of Remavs and the link up with NSF in the U.S. The first stage is being performed by the consortia procured by CNPq. The network link up began to be outlined last May when RNP held a council in Curitiba to raise private backing for Internet2. At that point we were working on two fronts. The first is an agreement with MCT and the Ministry of Education (MEC) that will extend over a four-year period in order to structure the new RNP backbone: RNP2. Total investments amount to approximately R$200 million. By the end of this month a pilot project of the new ATM backbone will be put on the air at speeds of 34Mbps, linking Brasília, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte. The second front is related to partnerships in the private sector. One of the agreements was made with Engeredes, of the Algar group. The optic fiber infrastructure of Engeredes will be used for Internet2 experiments. One section of the fiber extends from São Paulo to Brasília and another connects Belo Horizonte to Uberlândia. The company has a partnership agreement with Petrobrás to extend the fiber over pipelines. The third stage of Internet2 will begin at the end of next month, with the procurement of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (Ucaid).

And when will the link up of Remavs begin?

JOSÉ LUIZ: By the end of April of the year 2000, 13 capital cities with Remav projects will be linked by ATM networks under contract with Embratel.

Which are further along in the program?

JOSÉ LUIZ: Networks in Paraná, São Paulo, Ceará, Goiás and Rio Grande do Sul are already in the final stages of deployment of infrastructure. But the networks in São Paulo and in Rio Grande do Sul are the ones that have made the greatest progress. CNPq will be visiting the Remavs this week to make a progress check.

What other networking projects is RNP involved in?

JOSÉ LUIZ: RNP, founded in 1989 as a project of MCT, will itself become a Social Organization (official entity) next year. RNP will then have its own budget and will no longer have to rely on the interests of computer programming firms to invest in priority programs of MCT. As of the year 2000, the points of presence of the current RNP backbone outside the scope of Remavs will be operating at 2Mbps minimum. As part of the MEC agreement, all federal universities will link up to the new RNP backbone. If the university is situated in an area where the connection with the state network is unsatisfactory, it will be up to RNP to provide this connection with at least 1Mbps.

source: http://www.oglobo.com.br/