Seabras-1 is being deployed to meet tremendous growth in internet, data and voice traffic to and from Brazil. According to Seaborn, the existing submarine cables between the US and Brazil will not provide adequate capacity beyond 2016 and it is seeking to fill the gap with this latest cable.
The cable is 10,500km in length and will operate at 32Tbps capacity, it is scheduled to be completed in 2014. As well as connecting Miami and São Paulo, Seabras-1 will also include a branch to Fortaleza, Brazil.
Seabras-1 is the second cable project announced in Brazil in recent weeks. Brazilian state telecoms group Telebrás recently announced an ambitious submarine cable project to connect Brazil to the US, Europe, Africa and South America.
The US to Brazil section of the Telebrás cable project is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which will place it in direct competition with Seabras-1.
Seaborn says that it will offer a unique pricing model, a hybrid between consortium and more traditional private cable models.
Brazilian mobile data traffic is forecast to multiply 19 times from 2011-2016, with an annual growth rate of 79% in 2016, according to Cisco. Growth is also being driven by the Brazilian government’s national broadband plan in preparation for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics.
