Expanding Digital Connectivity in the Amazon Requires an Integrated Approach to Infrastructure, Regulation and Development
Amazon On 2026 brought together representatives from Brazil, Suriname, Portugal and Cabo Verde to discuss meaningful connectivity, regional cooperation and pathways to turning digital infrastructure into economic and social development across the Pan-Amazon region.
Expanding connectivity in the Amazon cannot be measured by network coverage alone. This was the starting point for the panel “Strategy for Expanding Digital Connectivity in the Amazon,” which brought together diverse perspectives on infrastructure, regulation, investment and international cooperation.
Serving as both moderator and keynote speaker, Luís Guillermo Alarcón, from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), presented an approach based on the concept of meaningful connectivity and the use of territorial data to guide investment decisions. As he put it:
“In the Amazon, connectivity is not just about coverage; it must serve as productive, social and climate infrastructure.” Luís Guillermo Alarcón, from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The discussion showed that different territories require different solutions. Suriname’s Minister of Transport, Communications and Tourism, Raymond Landveld, highlighted the challenges of connecting populations scattered across the country’s interior and the opportunity to strengthen cooperation with Brazil, particularly in border areas. In his view, digital infrastructure can support education, tourism and new economic activities in communities that currently have limited connectivity.
In Brazil, Secretary Hermano Barros Tercius presented the results and next steps of the Norte Conectado Program. The river-based fiber-optic networks already in operation are helping strengthen network resilience and extend connectivity to municipalities that previously relied on limited solutions. According to Tercius, the next steps include expanding the network into new areas, completing infrastructure rings and increasing the use of these networks for services such as healthcare and education. “The idea now is to go a little beyond the basics.”
The regulatory dimension was also central to the discussion. Jesileia Teles, Anatel’s Superintendent of Inspection, presented instruments such as connectivity commitments established through public tenders, Conduct Adjustment Agreements and the conversion of sanctions into network coverage obligations. According to Teles, “Anatel has a whole range of regulatory tools at its disposal to bring connectivity, digital inclusion and social transformation to the region.”
International experience broadened the discussion. Sandra Maximiano, Chair of the Board of Directors of Portugal’s National Communications Authority (Anacom), addressed the potential of submarine cables beyond data transmission, including environmental and climate sensing. Meanwhile, Leonilde Tatiana Santos, representing Cabo Verde, highlighted the need to combine infrastructure, cooperation and inclusion policies to ensure that technology effectively reaches people.
The panel converged on a central conclusion: in the Amazon, infrastructure is a necessary condition, but its impact depends on the ability to integrate it with regulation, financing, regional cooperation and services that turn connectivity into development.
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