In the Santiago River Basin of Peru’s Amazonas region, an ambitious initiative is underway to bridge the digital divide and bring reliable internet connectivity to rural communities.
The “Connectivity for the Santiago River Basin” project, led by a multi-stakeholder alliance, aims to foster socio-economic development in this underserved area. This initiative is part of a broader effort to expand access to digital services and telecommunications, an essential component for reducing inequalities and improving lives in remote regions.
The project takes inspiration from earlier successes in the Napo River in Loreto (Peru) and aims to develop a sustainable model for broadband deployment. With the involvement of national and local governments, academia, and national/international development cooperation, the project seeks to provide crucial internet connectivity, enabling enhanced educational, healthcare, and communication services to these isolated communities.
In addition, the project was designed to be complementary to a major government initiative for the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure called the Amazonas Regional Project.
Connectivity Is Crucial for the Santiago River Basin
The province of Condorcanqui is characterized by its dense forests and rugged terrain and therefore lacks meaningful digital infrastructure. Access to reliable communication and information is key to socio-economic advancement.
The Santiago River Basin is home to several small, rural communities whose public services, especially healthcare and education, have been significantly limited due to their isolation. Without connectivity, these communities have faced immense challenges in accessing timely medical consultations, educational resources, and government services. The gap in healthcare and education has led to poorer outcomes compared to more connected urban areas.
The project aims to improve the quality of healthcare by providing access to telehealth services to rural health professionals, enabling consultations, training, and remote diagnosis. For educators, internet access is a transformative tool that facilitates digital learning, professional development, and better communication with education authorities. In short, the need for connectivity here is not just about providing access to the internet—it’s about opening doors to opportunities that are otherwise unavailable.
Furthermore, the connectivity improves the efficiency of public institutions, enabling government employees in these remote communities to communicate more effectively with regional and national authorities. This means better coordination of public services, more timely responses to community needs, and an overall improvement in governance.
Tailored Connectivity Solutions to Rural Challenges
The Santiago River Basin connectivity project employs a sophisticated yet appropriate technological solution, custom-built for the region’s specific conditions. The data network consists of multiple layers: a backhaul network, access network, and local area networks (LANs). This layered approach ensures that each component of the system is optimized for its specific role. This system uses renewable solar power for stable electricity.
The backhaul network forms the backbone of the system, consisting of long-distance wireless links that interconnect various communities. These links use CAMBIUM PTP 670 radios and high-gain antennas, operating in the unlicensed 5 GHz band. By establishing double parallel wireless links between each locality, the system provides redundancy and reliability. With an average bandwidth of 220 Mbps per link, the backhaul network ensures that each community has sufficient capacity for both internet access and future expansion into mobile services, like 4G.
The access network, built using MIKROTIK radios, connects each public institution—such as schools and health facilities—to the backhaul network. These short-distance wireless links ensure that public institutions have robust and direct connectivity. Additionally, each institution has an internal LAN, providing access points for staff to connect their devices and use the services.
Given the absence of conventional electricity infrastructure, the project is powered by photovoltaic systems. Solar panels supply power to all the stations, including the distribution nodes and local users. This renewable energy approach is essential for sustainability, ensuring uninterrupted service without relying on an unreliable or unavailable power grid.
A Model for Rural Digital Transformation
The success of the Santiago River Basin project hinges on its innovative partnership model—a multi-stakeholder alliance involving government, academia, local communities, and national/international development partners.
The Rural Telecommunications Group of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP) and the EHAS Foundation have worked closely with Regional Government of Amazonas and other stakeholders (such as Chapter Peru of the Peru-Ecuador Binational Plan and Municipality of Condorcanqui) to ensure that the network is not only deployed but also maintained and expanded in a sustainable way.
This collective approach ensures that the benefits of connectivity are long-lasting, with local governments and telecommunications providers committed to maintaining and expanding the infrastructure.
By integrating these diverse elements—appropriate technology, renewable energy, community involvement, and institutional support—the Santiago River Basin project serves as a blueprint for other rural regions facing similar connectivity challenges.
It demonstrates that with the right mix of technology and collaboration, even the most isolated communities can benefit from the digital age, leading to profound improvements in healthcare, education, and overall quality of life.
By Juan Antonio Paco Fernandez
