FCT and AIR Centre strengthen RCTS in the Azores

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Atlantic International Research Centre(Air Centre) signed a protocol on April 9 to strengthen the RCTS - Science, Technology and Society Network in the Azores. For this purpose, a 1 Gbps direct link will be installed between Terceira Island and Lisbon, to be implemented within 90 days. This connection will meet the Air Centre's growing needs in terms of its activities and research projects, as well as interconnecting with the national science and technology network and its various nodes.

This protocol also defines the basis for the future extension of the currently existing connectivity, by reinforcing the CAM ring - Mainland, Azores and Madeira with new submarine cables, and meeting the needs of the University of the Azores poles and the connection to the Space-Innovation Hub in Santa Maria. This initiative strengthens and enhances the current infrastructure supporting research and innovation activities in the Azores.

The RCTS, provided by the FCT through its FCCN unit, ensures access to the Internet and to a wide range of advanced digital services directed to entities of the national academic, scientific and technological system and covers the entire national territory. The RCTS includes 84 entities and its annual investment is 4.5 M€. Currently, the FCCN unit is implementing the RCTS100 project, which will extend the optical fiber infrastructure and perform a technological upgrade of the academic network, in order to ensure the gradual empowerment of the network in multiple 100Gbps connections, with completion scheduled for September this year.

This funding also guarantees the reinforcement and updating of the local networks of the higher education institutions, so as to ensure not only the efficient use of the new infrastructure made available by RCTS, but also to work as an accelerator for the existing technological plans.