The National Education and Research Network Association (RNP) is a non-profit private company of public interest (see below), founded in 1999, whose mission is to promote the innovative use of advanced networks in Brazil. The creation of the Association made it possible to give institutional form to the original National Research Network project, which had been funded by CNPq – the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – since 1989, and made it possible for the network to receive regular public funding, from the ministries of Science and Technology (MCT) and Education (MEC), which has enabled the deployment of the nucleus of the high-performance network infrastructure that now serves hundreds of Brazilian teaching and research institutions.
In January 2002, the AsRNP was qualified by the federal government as a Social Organization (OS). In March 2002 it signed a long-term management contract with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT) with the aim of fostering technological research and development activities in networks, and operating advanced networks and services.
Administrative Council
The Administrative Council is the AsRNP’s governing body. It is made up of representatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education; the Brazilian Computing Society (SBC); the National Laboratory for Computer Networks (LARC); RNP’s Points of Presence; its members, and users. This composition follows the orientation of the Law of Social Organizations, which determines that these collegiate bodies have the participation of representatives of the public sector, civil society organizations, members and users.
The Council meets at least three times a year, and is responsible for approving the annual budget and programme of investments, in addition to the annual accounts, as well proposals brought by the Board of Directors.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is responsible for the day-to-day running of AsRNP, and is composed of up to five members. The Board is chaired by the Director General, who is chosen, and may also de dismissed, by the Administrative Council. The other directors are proposed by the Director General, subject to the approval of the Administrative Council.
National Integration
The implementation of the National Broadband Program (Programa Nacional de Banda Larga, PNBL), by the Brazilian Federal Government, includes a partnership between RNP and Telebras to forster the development of the Veredas Novas project. This project aims to connect and provide broadband to all Research and Education institutions campuses located in the interior of Brazil until 2014. It will reach circa 300 campuses.
The PNBL is an initiative from the Brazilian government to provide broadband Internet access throughout the country to individuals, governmental institutions, businesses and civil societies that do not have access to this service yet.
Telebrás was the Brazilian state-owned monopoly telephone system since the seventies. It was broken up in July 1998 into twelve separate companies, that were auctioned to private bidders.
Telebras was reactivated by the government to perform the role of a national optic fiber network operator. It´s objective is to provide connectivity wholesale to small providers. It´s goal is to push down final customers costs to broadband in cities where private operators offer the service. And to support the launch of new providers in cities where there aren´t any installed.
Regional Integration
RNP continues undertaking the maintenance and expansion of academic inter connectivity in Latin America by supporting and seeking alternatives for strengthening RedCLARA and agreement to establish an international crossborder conections between South American NRENs.
Dynamic Circuits Testbed
RNP begun the use and provision of dynamic circuits in the network, through trial service (SE-Cipó) which, integrated with networks and laboratories in other countries, will expand the security and safety of large masses of data transmission in national and international collaborative research.
Collaboration based on high performance video
RNP experienced the support for remote collaboration applications based on high-definition video visualization devices (encoder and Fire videowall) for low cost and high performance.
Services
i) The launch of eduROAM, facilitating the integration of Brazilian teachers,
researchers and students with mobile devices in wireless networks in Brazil and
abroad.
ii) RNP is deploying a Cloud Service, with focus on the needs of applications to support R&D. The solution is based on a community cloud infrastructure.
Management
In 2012, RNP concluded its Program of Organizational Change, which brought contributions to its organizational management development.
