Watch “The internet will stop”, says institutional vice-president of Claro– Brazil News Headlines

The construction of a desalination plant in Praia do Futuro, in Fortaleza, Ceará, continues to generate controversy. Companies operating in the internet sector claim that the work could bring down the connection in Brazil. Among the two leaders of the movement against the project, Fábio Andrade, institutional vice-president of Claro, is categorical: “The country’s internet will stop”.

Read corn

Impacts on the internet connection

In an interview with Folha de São Paulo, Fábio Andrade remembers that the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) already has a manifesto and determination that the factory’s ducts are, at least, 500 meters from the submarine cables. Previously, the project established only five meters.

With the vibration of the water, Andrade says that the cables could break, bringing down the internet.

Mas segundo ele, o problema vai além. Even if the installation takes place at least 500 meters away, the connection may not be affected in the future. This is because the institutional vice-president of Claro highlights that the number of cables must double in three years, as the increase in demand for internet in the country. Nesse sentido, a installação deviare ser feito em uma distance de, no mímino, mil metros.

Almost all the country’s international connections with EUA, Europe and Africa reach Praia do Futuro, in Fortaleza (CE). Um reparo leva, no mínimo, 50 dias. This would affect public security, health, hospital, and population.

Fábio Andrade, institutional vice-president of Claro

Andrade still explains that a new executive project is waiting and that the next chapters of this story will be known in a few weeks.

He states that, if the construction of the plant takes place in the originally indicated location, the solution will be to install new internet cables on another beach in the region. The problem is that this will generate a huge cost, in addition to the need to guarantee the ground connection between these two cable terminals.

Remember the controversy

• After Praia do Futuro, there are 17 submarine internet cables;
• According to companies in the sector, the construction of the plant in the same location could pose risks to the connection in Brazil, as the cables carry 99% of the data, according to the Ministry of Communications;
• Those responsible for PPP, in turn, guarantee there is no risk, claiming that the ducts will be more than 500 meters from the internet cables, with zero chances of hitting them.