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RNP promotes technical visits to the PoPs


RNP made a series of technical visits to the institutions hosting the Points of Presence (PoPs) of the academic network RNP2, during the months of October and November 2002. The aim of those visits was to know better the infrastructure of the PoPs and the difficulties faced by them daily. This program of periodical visits is an integral part of the Plan of Operation Excellence, which constitutes an activity of the cooperation partnership between RNP and the institution hosting the Point of Presence.

All the visits had the participation of PoP technicians from other regions, which also served to promote a greater rapport among them as well as between them and RNP. At the end, all the visitors had to present a report about the conditions of the PoP visited.

The reports were based on some guidelines including the basic information to be provided, such as physical access to the PoP (existence of signs indicating its location and access ramps), local security, working conditions etc. However, according to Ari Frazão Júnior, manager of RNP's Engineering and Operation Center (Centro de Engenharia e Operações - CEO), the most important aspects were the visitors' personal observations and the PoP technicians' impressions.

In the north of Brazil, for instance, most of the reports mentioned the lack of qualified personnel and the bad local telecommunications infrastructure as serious problems for the operation of the PoPs. In contrast, the units in the south and southeast of the country were cited as the ones with the best conditions to offer a good service since they have better infrastructure and more facility to get new employees.

Ari Frazão praises the technicians' efforts to keep the Points of Presence working. He acknowledges that sometimes the telecommunications infrastructure itself and that of the electrical system are deficient and thus, responsible for occasional discontinuities in the Internet connection service offered by the PoP.

"We can notice how valuable the people operating our PoPs are. Some of them make a great effort ensure that the PoP is working satisfactorily. It only reinforces our belief that we have to create better operating conditions to these points as soon as possible," stresses Frazão.

The next visits, which should happen in October, will probably be based on another set of guidelines, which will take into consideration the work plan to be established with the PoP.

[RNP, 03.14.2003]

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