FCT and AIR Centre strengthen RCTS in the Azores

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Atlantic International Research Centre(Air Centre) signed a protocol on April 9 to strengthen the RCTS - Science, Technology and Society Network in the Azores. To this end, a direct 1 Gbps connection will be installed between Terceira Island and Lisbon, to be implemented within a maximum of 90 days. This connection will make it possible to meet the growing needs of the Air Centre in terms of its research activities and projects, as well as interconnecting with the national science and technology network and its various nodes.

This protocol also lays the foundations for the future extension of existing connectivity, by reinforcing the CAM ring - Mainland, Azores and Madeira - with new submarine cables, meeting the needs of the University of the Azores and the connection to the Space-Innovation Hub in Santa Maria. This initiative reinforces and boosts the current infrastructure supporting research and innovation activities in the Azores.

RCTS, provided by FCT through its FCCN unit, guarantees access to the internet and a wide range of advanced digital services for entities in the national academic, scientific and technological system and covers the entire national territory. RCTS includes 84 entities and its annual investment is €4.5 million. Currently, the FCCN unit is implementing the RCTS100 project, which will extend the fiber optic infrastructure and carry out a technological upgrade of the academic network, in order to guarantee the gradual qualification of the network for multiple 100Gbps connections, with completion scheduled for September of this year.

This funding also guarantees the reinforcement and updating of the local networks of higher education entities, in order to guarantee not only the efficient use of the new infrastructure made available by RCTS, but also to act as an accelerator for existing technological plans.