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FCT and EMACOM protocol for the use of submarine optical fiber

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and EMACOM - Telecomunicações of Madeira, owned by the Electricity Company of Madeira, signed this Monday (May 23) a cooperation protocol aimed at promoting the use of optical fiber for research purposes, particularly in the areas of seismology, volcanology, marine ecology and ocean conditions.

The agreement is the first step towards the materialization of GEOLab, an initiative directed to the research community, which also counts on the participation of the Ellalink Group, which owns the submarine system that connects Europe to Latin America and has a dedicated fiber optic pair between Funchal and Sines, and GEANT, the main European network directed to research and education.

Through this protocol, EMACOM is committed to assigning the rights of use of optical fiber for all equipment supporting the scientific experiments to be carried out under the project and its connection to the RCTS - Science, Technology and Society Network, whose management and operation will be the responsibility of the FCT, through its National Scientific Computing Unit (FCCN).

FCT also adds to this responsibility the commitment to ensure access to GEOLab by the research and teaching community, in a partnership that is intended to take advantage of human and technological potential by sharing technological resources in the areas of research and connectivity, namely through the use of the submarine cable system.

Within the scope of the protocol, FCT will be responsible for developing diligences towards the activation of a new RCTS Point of Presence (PoP) at the CLS (Cable Landing Station) of Funchal and the reinforcement of the Penteada PoP, located at the premises of the University of Madeira, in order to ensure connectivity to the global Internet through GEOLab's Science, Technology and Society Network (RCTS).

EMACOM - Telecomunicações da Madeira owns a fibre optic pair between Madeira and mainland Portugal, in the EllaLink system, a system consisting of a 6 thousand km long low latency submarine cable linking Brazil to Europe, with points of presence in Portugal (Sines and Lisbon), Spain and France. EMACOM also has in the Ellalink system an optical fiber, with about 56km, which departs from the Madeira landing station and is a resource of high interest to the research and education community, in activities related to earth observation, including the movements of the seabed.