Subfluvial Networks, Wireless Connectivity and the Role of Digital Infrastructure in the Amazon Basin
Subfluvial fiber-optic infrastructure, high-capacity wireless connectivity and monitoring through smart cables are driving the Amazon's digital transition through public-private partnership initiatives.
The deployment of telecommunications infrastructure in the Amazon Basin faces unique logistical and geographical challenges, characterized by its vast territory, dense vegetation and dependence on waterways. At the "Technology & Innovation at the Service of the Forest" panel, held during the Amazon On forum, experts, regulators and executives discussed how subfluvial fiber-optic networks, wireless solutions and smart submarine cables are being deployed to connect remote municipalities and support public policies in healthcare, education and public safety.
The panel was moderated by Alexandre Freire, a board member of the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), who opened the discussion by highlighting the regulatory dimension and the need to align technological advances with environmental, social and governance (ESG) guidelines.
"Consolidating connectivity in the Amazon requires infrastructure expansion to go hand in hand with environmental preservation and the protection of citizens' rights, transforming digital access into a driver of sustainable socioeconomic development," Freire said.
In the opening technical presentation, Alexander Lee, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at HMN Technologies, detailed the operational parameters of Infovia 01, part of the Federal Government's Norte Conectado Program. The infrastructure comprises 1,204 kilometers of subfluvial optical cables laid along the riverbeds of Amazonian rivers, interconnecting 11 municipalities and 170 public institutions and benefiting approximately 3 million people. Lee highlighted that deploying underwater optical cables avoided the deforestation of thousands of trees that would have been required if terrestrial rights-of-way had been cleared for the installation of traditional transmission lines.
Complementing the transport infrastructure (backbone), signal distribution at the edge (last mile) requires adapted technologies. Maximiliano Martinhão, Qualcomm's Senior Director of Government Relations, highlighted the use of next-generation wireless solutions to connect communities located far from river channels. "Fiber optics acts as the great artery for data transport, but delivering the signal to schools, healthcare facilities and homes in rural areas depends on a strategic combination with high-capacity wireless connections, ensuring scalability and a lower impact on the soil," Martinhão noted.
From an academic and research-innovation perspective, Professor Rodrigo Augusto Ferreira de Souza of the State University of Amazonas (UEA) and a member of the Selva Project presented the challenges of real-time environmental monitoring. The availability of stable, low-latency connectivity is a technical prerequisite for operating sensor networks that measure microclimatic variables and support forest inspection and protection efforts.
Underwater infrastructure is also undergoing functional transformation. Rogério Mariano, a representative of the Task Force on Smart Submarine Cables (organized by the ITU, WMO and UNESCO), discussed the evolution of optical networks toward SMART (Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications) technology. Integrating sensors into repeaters along subfluvial and submarine cables makes it possible to collect seismic, hydrological and riverbed temperature data, transforming communications infrastructure into an active climate and environmental monitoring network.
The panel concluded that the subfluvial network model developed in Brazil is already serving as an international reference for other countries facing similar geographical barriers, such as the project on Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa.
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