The collaboration protocol between the Coimbra City Council (CM) and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) was signed on June 20, in the Noble Hall of the Municipality of Coimbra. The document aims to strengthen the relationship between the two institutions to ensure the expansion and increased resilience of the fiber optic networks of both entities in the city of Coimbra.
The protocol was signed by the president of Coimbra City Council, José Manuel Silva, and by the president of FCT, Madalena Alves. Also present at this time were João Nuno Ferreira, General Coordinator of FCCN, FCT digital services and Tiago Antunes, Network Engineer at the same entity.
Strengthen the connectivity of higher education institutions, services and municipal buildings in Coimbra
The document reinforces the connectivity of Coimbra's Higher Education institutions, services and municipal buildings and comes after 20 years since the beginning of the relationship between the two entities, specifically through FCCN, FCT's digital services. To expand and increase the resilience of the FCT and Coimbra City Council networks, resources—fiber optic pairs—will be shared.
"This close collaboration with the FCT, which I welcome and appreciate, will enable a significant and fundamental improvement in the operation of our municipal services and buildings, which will now have a fiber optic network better able to cope with our accelerated pace of work," highlighted the president of the Coimbra City Council, José Manuel Silva.
In turn, the president of the FCT, Madalena Alves, said that: "This protocol reinforces the extremely fruitful collaboration between the FCT and the City Council, which has ensured that Coimbra remains at the forefront of digital communications dedicated to Science, Technology, and Higher Education."
The beginning of the connection between entities
The connection between the two entities began in 2004, as part of a project by FCCN, FCT's digital services, where a physical cable of 48 optical fibers was acquired and installed, which began to interconnect several cities from Braga to Lisbon, passing through Coimbra.
This project was expanded through the creation of local network infrastructures that enabled fiber optic access between the various higher education institutions located in these cities.
In the case of Coimbra, a local network was built that allowed the University of Coimbra, the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra and the Coimbra School of Nursing high-performance access to the digital infrastructure managed by the FCCN network, made available to national teaching and research communities.
