RIO DE JANEIRO, December 2, 2009 – Today the Baixada Digital program was inaugurated in the state of Rio de Janeiro, with the aim of offering free broadband wireless mesh Internet access in specific areas of the cities of Duque de Caxias, São João de Meriti, Belford Roxo, Mesquita, Nova Iguaçu and Nilópolis.
For this initiative the state's Department of Science and Technology is collaborating with the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), responsible for installing the network and managing it after the project begins. The objective of this program is to increase digital inclusion in the state of Rio by offering free wireless broadband connectivity to the population.
Cisco was selected to provide a Cisco Unified Wireless Network that includes a high-performance wireless mesh and network management solution for the initiative, through Cisco Premier Certified Partner, Verto Technologies. The selection was made in a public bid procedure. The wireless technology is based on the same architecture used in two similar projects by the Rio de Janeiro administration. The first is Orla Digital (Digital Coastline), which is bringing connectivity to the beaches of Leblon and Ipanema. The second is the creation of a digital corridor that will provide free wireless Internet along the Avenida Brasil. These projects are part of Digital State, a broader program of Rio's administration.
Highlights:
- The specific areas within the six cities in the Baixada Fluminense region participating in the program cover a total area of 190 square kilometers, with the potential to reach approximately 1.4 million people.
- In order to access Internet from residences, public buildings and commercial establishments, citizens will only need a wireless modem or a device with wireless connectivity. On the streets, the signal will be reachable through laptops at some squares and main avenues, such as Praça do Pacificador, Avenida Presidente Kennedy, Avenida Brigadeiro Lins e Silva, in pedestrian-only streets in Caxias, and Praça da Matriz and the city hall in São João do Meriti.
- Initially, 70 Cisco 1520 Series Wireless Mesh Access Points will be installed across the length of these 190 kilometers, combining the performance of the industry's most widely deployed wireless solution with the benefits of Internet access..
- The state government's Department of Science and Technology announced a R$ 3 million investment in Baixada Digital, with a major part of the resources assigned to secure a highly resilient network for the population.
- Operation and management of Digital Baixada will be conducted by Rede Rio, a computer network formed by universities such as UFF and research centers such as FAPERJ and the Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation of Research Support in Rio de Janeiro.
Supporting Quotes:
- Alexandre Cardoso, secretary of Science and Technology for the state of Rio de Janeiro
- Prof. Franklin Dias Coelho, project coordinator, Universidade Federal Fluminense
- Amos Maidantchik, public sector manager at Cisco Brasil
"This is the biggest public Internet project in the world with these characteristics. It is something really new, allowing different social classes to be connected to the world. Wireless Internet is also a great education revolution project. A computer with broadband connection is like a school inside every home."
"The deployment of this technology platform is just a path for a broader project of organizing a state based on the concept of intelligent territories. The vision of digital cities implies a process of territorial reorganization allowing the state to advance in its real mission, which is to promote regional integration initiatives, structuring public services in a agile and transparent way, integrating and spreading the history and culture of Rio de Janeiro to the world. Much more than an infrastructure program, it should be a process of economic, social and political mobilization in which different institutions and companies are part of a regional pact to transform the state of Rio de Janeiro into a digitally intelligent state".
"In Cisco's view, programs like Digital Baixada go far beyond simple access to free Internet. We believe that the deployment of a a high-performance, highly resilient network, properly controlled and managed, is an essential tool for today's governments to improve health, education and public safety services."
Links / URLs:
- Fluminense Federal University
- Department of Science and Technology of the State of Rio de Janeiro
- Orla Digital website
- Cisco Unified Wireless Network
Keywords:
Cisco, Wireless Mesh, Wi-Fi, Broadband, Rio de Janeiro, Digital State
