Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) has announced its collaboration with BELLA II, a research and education-focused project that will link the country regionally and with Europe via a high-capacity fibre-optic network.
The deployment of this high-capacity network is expected not only to strengthen the country's connection with Europe but also to boost national capacities in research, education, and innovation. MTC will provide specialised technical support for the project’s implementation throughout Peru.
BELLA II focuses on expanding digital connectivity between Europe and Latin America and on strengthening research and education capacities through national research and education networks (NRENs). With Peru’s integration into this collaborative network, new opportunities are expected to open up for Peruvian universities, research centres and students to participate in high-impact international projects.
This connection, offering links of 100 Gbps and above, is described as one that positions Peru as a key node in the regional digital infrastructure, enabling scientific and academic data exchange on an unprecedented scale and accelerating access to knowledge, technological development, and national competitiveness.
The initiative is led by RedCLARA and co-financed by the European Union. CLARA (Cooperación Latino Americana de Redes Avanzadas) is an international organisation whose aim is to connect Latin America's NRENs. CLARA manages the RedCLARA network. This collaboration forms part of a regional effort to build a sovereign and resilient digital infrastructure that promotes sustainable development and closes knowledge access gaps.
This announcement follows the 4 February signing by MTC and RedCLARA of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen the digital ecosystem and promote innovation across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The agreement is described as fostering the exchange of information, ideas and proposals in telecommunications and ICT, focusing on key initiatives such as BELLA II.
