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Figure 29: Configuration of the Ipê backbone of RNP in 4Q 2007

In the interim period before the general availability of these community networks, some of the

research groups participating in Project GIGA, an experimental optical networking testbed,

deployed in the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, have been permitted to use the testbed

access links to reach the local RNP PoP for the purpose of national and international

collaboration beyond the Project GIGA testbed. Among such groups are research groups in HEP

and grid technologies at UERJ (state university of Rio de Janeiro), UFF (federal university in

Niterói) and UFRJ (federal university of Rio de Janeiro) in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

In addition to the metro networks in state capitals, RNP also maintains and operates point to point

links between its PoPs and federal government-maintained institutions in non-capital cities. Most

of these institutions are federal universities, but they also include research institutes of the

Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT) and a growing number of technical and agro-

technical colleges of the Ministry of Education (MEC). In a number of these non-capital cities,

plans are underway to install facilities-based metro networks.

RNP provides support for international collaboration in research and education through a 155

Mbps access to the CLARA network, which is the Latin American backbone network, which

interconnected 12 countries in the region in December, 2007 (Costa Rica and Nicaragua left the

network after a year's membership). The network is based on a 155 Mbps backbone connecting

São Paulo (Brazil), Tijuana (Mexico), Panama City (Panama), Santiago (Chile), Buenos Aires

(Argentina) and Miami (USA). This backbone currently possesses three external links: a 622

Mbps link from São Paulo to the European GÉANT backbone network in Madrid (Spain), a 1

Gbps link from Tijuana to the Pacific Wave distributed interconnect in Los Angeles, California,

and a 2.5 Gbps link from São Paulo to the Atlantic Wave distributed interconnection in Miami,

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