Brazil mulls incentives to bolster submarine cable routes, landing points

Brazil is considering incentives for the diversification of submarine cable landing points and to encourage the development of new routes and cables in the country.

The initiative for a national submarine cable policy was announced this week by communications minister Frederico de Siqueira Filho. 

According to a ministry statement, the proposal aims to foster the installation of cables in locations that are "off the submarine connectivity map," namely cities in the north and south regions, which currently do not have any anchoring points.

The policy aims to expand the number of anchoring points through the creation of so-called zones of interest for anchoring (ZIAs).

Currently, the chief landing points are Fortaleza in northeastern Ceará state, and Rio de Janeiro and Praia Grande/Santos, both in the southeast region. 

Fortaleza's Praia do Futuro beach alone anchors 17 systems.

The policy could attract new international cables but also new festoon systems – which is how cables connecting shores within a particular country are called.

Spots

The data infrastructure industry has frequently pointed to the potential of Porto Alegre, capital of southern state Rio Grande do Sul, as a potential anchorage point.

Several of Brazil's existing submarine systems already have branches off the Rio Grande do Sul coast for future stretches to the city.

In the north, among the places identified as potential new landing and anchorage points is Pará state capital Belém.

There are some submarine cable projects underway that see Belém as an exit to the Atlantic with potential for connection to existing systems coming from the Caribbean and the Guianas.

"This policy will be key to advance the digital economy in Brazil and for positioning the country as a protagonist in the global telecommunications scenario. President Lula tasked me to continue strengthening telecoms and combat regional inequalities. To do this, we need to have more points throughout the country receiving submarine cables," Siqueira Filho said in the statement.

Consultation

The ministry put the policy out for public consultation to gather contributions that will help define the guidelines for the plan. Comments may be submitted for 45 days.

Topics in the consultation include incentives for the installation of ZIAs in less developed regions, mechanisms to foster the national components industry and sustainability criteria.

The national submarine cable policy is expected to be officially launched by the end of the year, following the analysis of the contributions.