Brazil wants to build its own internet cable to Europe

Brazil wants to have its own transatlantic internet cable installed to Europe, so as not to be dependent on internet connections to the United States. Relations between the US and Brazil have cooled since the Snowden revelations.

The approximately 5,600 kilometer long submarine cable, the construction of which is being coordinated by the Brazilian state telecom company Telebras, will cost $185 million, according to Bloomberg. That would amount to approximately 150 million euros. The cable will come ashore in Portugal. Currently, internet traffic between Brazil and Europe goes through the United States.

There has been talk of building the cable since 2012, but the revelations from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden were at least an additional argument for its construction. They are also probably the main reason that US equipment will not be used. Telebras will only work with Brazilian, European and Asian companies.

It has not yet been decided which companies are involved. According to Francisco Ziober, the director of Telebras, there is a good chance that companies such as Huawei, Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson will be chosen. It is striking that Huawei has been accused by the American government of participating in espionage by the Chinese government.

The Snowden revelations have hurt relations between Brazil and the United States. Brazil already said last year that it wants to oblige internet companies to store data of Brazilians within Brazil, in order to prevent espionage. Brazil is still thinking about cables to Africa and Asia.

Source: Telebras