First Interconnected Rural Community in Peru

The Telecommunications Investment Fund (Fondo de Inversión en Telecomunicaciones, or Fitel), has been in charge of the financing of this communications and information technology project, whose bid was won by the Optical Consortium.

Cisco worked with Optical Networks, a Cisco Registered Partner, for this project to facilitate access to Cisco TelePresence solutions to allow communications between Candarave with the rest of the country.

This project’s investment, $3.6 million, includes the provision of 300 kilometers (186 miles) of fiber optic cable and the development of connectivity solutions to provide telephony and broadband Internet to the inhabitants of that area, which registers one of the highest indexes of poverty in the country.

This effort will considerably improve the inhabitants’ quality of life, in social, economic, educational and health terms. Thanks to the contribution of the government, two dozen locations will have access to the Internet, public and fixed telephony with affordable fees, intranets, Web portals, and unlimited communication between locations.

The fiber optic adjustment will help enable six local governments, 12 health centers and two police stations of the region to be interconnected with the rest of the country.

“Cisco’s participation in the Candarave project together with Optical Networks represents a milestone and a huge responsibility, as we are helping the state to meet its goal of developing rural areas and improving Peru’s connectivity. The current state is committed to connecting locations regardless of distance, trying to link them with the rest of the country and the world, thereby increasing their productive activities and family welfare,” said Alba San Martín, country manager for Peru and Bolivia, Cisco.

The project scope

Three hundred kilometers of fiber optic cable will allow the integration of distance education. Twenty-three schools will be linked via this mega-connection, which will help them access and deliver instructional materials.

Distance will disappear with connectivity, as anybody from this location on the border with Chile will be able to access information from anywhere on the planet, virtually visit a museum in New York, or talk to a friend in Australia or China.

The technological investment in Candarave also integrates health services via an intranet (a private network of connected computers). In a second stage, with Cisco’s direct participation, the high-definition Cisco TelePresence platform will be launched.

With this advancement, it will be possible to hold a meeting in the south of the country with someone in Miami or London in a matter of minutes. People will also have access to IP television, which allows them to watch their favorite programs via the Internet.

The districts benefiting from this project are Cairani, Camilaca, Candarave, Curibaya, Huanuara and Quilahuani from the province of Candavare, Tacna region.

The services offered are the following: 23 locations with public telephony, eight locations with subscriber telephony, six locations with Internet access, six local governments with Internet and intranet, 23 local public schools with intranet, 12 health centers with intranet, and two police stations with intranet.