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NEC Corporation, a leading global IT and network transformation services provider, announced that it has been selected by Eletronet, an Axia Energia company and widely recognized Brazilian Telecom and IT infrastructure provider, to modernize its optical backbone with the deployment of Nokia’s optical solutions. The project adds 8,000 kilometers of new fiber routes. This expansion will reach a total of 26,000 kilometers across 23 Brazilian states, covering all regions of the country by the end of 2026. The network will be upgraded with the Nokia 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) and Nokia 1830 Global Express (GX) platforms to further enhance infrastructure reliability and stability. The modernization will enable services with speeds of up to 1.2 Tb/s per optical channel and ensure higher quality data transport. Project integration, including work coordination and equipment deployment, will be led by NEC as the system integrator.
Eletronet is investing BRL 157 million (USD 30.4 million) in this initiative to reinforce its role as a neutral connectivity hub. The infrastructure uses OPGW fiber optic cables installed on power transmission lines, providing high resilience and availability. This modernization includes the creation of 85 new Edge Data Centers. These units will bring the company’s total to 255 Edge Data Centers nationwide to support low-latency applications.
To further optimize this network, the project is based on Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) technology and a flexible optical grid, embedded in Nokia solutions. These technologies optimize long-haul transport, expand revenue opportunities by handling traffic growth more dynamically, and reinforce high-demand routes with compact, energy-efficient equipment.
ROADM functions as an "intelligent traffic system," enabling remote reconfiguration, new route activation, and traffic rerouting—accelerating service turn-up, reducing response times, and increasing overall service stability. With the flexible optical grid, Eletronet can transport more data over the same fiber, enabling these ultra-high speeds without new fiber installations, ensuring scalability for future demand and large strategic projects.
NEC and Nokia will continue delivering robust optical network solutions to support Eletronet’s growth, driving broader and faster internet coverage across Brazil. By enabling scalable, high-performance connectivity, both companies aim to foster digital transformation and AI-driven innovation, contributing to economic development and a more connected society for the future.
"We are living in a moment of rapidly growing data traffic, driven by cloud applications, intensive use of Artificial Intelligence, and the continuous increase in connected devices. This scenario demands increasingly robust networks to keep pace with the digital economy. The modernization of our backbone directly addresses this need, ensuring that Internet Service Providers (ISPs), telecom operators and submarine cable operators, data centers, and hyperscalers have an infrastructure ready to support the country’s growth," said Rogério Garchet, CEO, Eletronet.
"Advancing our backbone is essential to support Eletronet’s next expansion cycles and the delivery of high-quality services. Leveraging the experience of Nokia and NEC in this project strengthens our continuous evolution strategy and ensures the levels of quality, security, and performance our customers require," said Emerson Hioki, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Eletronet.
"This is a highly relevant project for Brazil. With Nokia’s solutions, Eletronet is reinforcing the infrastructure needed to support growing demand across market segments for low-latency connectivity, increased capacity, and distributed processing. At the same time, it expands broadband connectivity options and access to digital services across different regions of the country. We value Eletronet’s trust in Nokia and NEC’s partnership with us on this initiative," said Rafael Mezzasalma, Nokia Director for Brazil.
"NEC is delighted to support Eletronet’s business expansion in collaboration with Nokia. Leveraging decades of optical networking expertise built on our Global Center of Excellence, we are committed to building a robust optical foundation worldwide that fuels business growth and delivers positive social impact," said Masayuki Kayahara, Corporate SVP, Global Network Division, NEC Corporation.
