Brazil and Europe inaugurate submarine fiber optic cable

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Tuesday, June 1, Brazil and the European Union inaugurated the first submarine high-capacity fiber optic cable linking the regions, with a total investment of over R$1 billion (US$194 million), said the Brazilian government and Irish company EllaLink, responsible for the project.

The 6,200 kilometer-long cable, 4,000 meters deep in the Atlantic Ocean, will connect Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará to the Portuguese city of Sines.

According to the press release, the new route will be the first direct high-capacity fiber optic connection between South America and Europe, as the current ones all pass through the United States.

“Currently, we do not have a direct connection, we have to pass the information through the United States. This cable enables much higher data traffic, much higher speed, that is, with less time latency,” said Brazil’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations Marcos Pontes, who attended the inauguration ceremony in Portugal.

According to EllaLink, the direct link will reduce latency – the time spent transmitting data – by half, which will have impacts in situations as distinct as financial market operations, scientific research and online games.

The project received an investment of some R$56 million from the Brazilian government,  almost R$160 million from the European Commission, and close to R$1 billion from EllaLink.

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