•OPGW fibre backbone delivers record 1.6 Tb/s capacity across 16,000 miles
•Power-line fibre and submarine cable access position firm as Brazil's AI connectivity anchor
The fact
Brazilian wholesale operator Eletronet operates more than 16,000 miles of optical fibre and 255 points of presence interconnected with major submarine cable landings. The company's OPGW-based infrastructure — fibre embedded in power transmission lines — achieved a record 1.6 Tb/s single-wavelength transmission in partnership with Ciena. Eletronet plans to reach 255 edge data centres across Brazil by end-2026, up from 170 today, and expand connectivity into neighbouring South American markets.
The Assessment
Eletronet's OPGW model — running fibre along power transmission lines rather than building standalone networks — gives it a structural cost advantage in a market where most rivals must lay dedicated fibre. The 1.6 Tb/s milestone with Ciena positions the network for AI-driven traffic scaling, not just conventional bandwidth growth. For hyperscalers expanding into South America, access to low-latency edge infrastructure connected to submarine cable landings is increasingly a prerequisite. Eletronet is positioning itself as the wholesale bridge between global AI compute demand and Brazilian market access.
What to Watch
Whether Eletronet's OPGW advantage attracts hyperscaler tenants ahead of regional rivals, and if South American cross-border expansion materialises before competing fibre operators replicate the edge data centre model.
Also read: AtlasEdge sells nine European data centres to Templus
