FCT presented new generation RCTS

On February 16, FCT, through its FCCN Unit, held the "Inauguration of the New Generation RCTS" session at the Pavilion of Knowledge, marking the completion of the RCTS100 project.

The RCTS100 project, which was completed at the end of 2022, was launched in October 2017 to build a new-generation national education and research network, which made it possible to expand the fiber optic infrastructure of the Science, Technology, and Society Network (RCTS) and ensure its technological upgrade. At the same time, this project made it possible to upgrade the internal networks of nine public higher education institutions and respond to the challenge of the digital divide.

With a total investment of €17 million, €13 million of which came from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), RCTS100 set itself the ambitious goal of strengthening research, technological development, and innovation.

A network with national impact

“We support not only the Portuguese higher education system and the national science and technology system, but also the connectivity of the Ministry of Education’s schools and the organizational units of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Higher Education,” explains Ana Pinto, director of the Network Services Area at the FCCN Unit.

Therefore, the technological upgrade promoted by the RCTS100 project directly impacts several communities, from the higher education and science and technology system, to more administrative communities linked to the ministry, and the non-higher education community.

Given this extensive coverage of the national education and research network, this project guarantees technological updates with national repercussions.

Response to the digital divide

The impact of RCTS100 is not limited to activating new fiber optic infrastructure routes and upgrading connections for various higher education institutions across the country. Thanks to this project, it was also possible to create new rings in the network, making it more scalable, both in terms of the number of services provided and in terms of increased redundancy and resilience to failures.

On the other hand, by standardizing access to fiber and activating an optical transmission system with national coverage, it was possible to guarantee identical conditions of access to the network, regardless of the entity's location. At present, RCTS teaching and research entities can already access multiple services at a speed of 100Gbps, regardless of their geographical location. Responding to the challenge of the digital divide [asymmetries felt in different parts of the country with regard to available connectivity services] is therefore another feature that makes this project strategic for national scientific and technological development.

Over the last few months, the FCCN Unit has been sharing testimonials from officials linked to several of these RCTS entities on its blog. "The connection of the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda to the national education and research network at 100Gpbs is essential to meet needs," says João Paulo Valbom, coordinator of the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda's IT Center. The same idea is shared by the president of the Polytechnic of Viseu, José dos Santos Costa: "The connection of the Polytechnic of Viseu to the national education and research network at 100Gpbs is extremely important."

Learn more about RCTS100 here.