Intel Brings WiMax ‘Digital City’ to Amazon Island

Intel, a producer of computer chips, on Wednesday said it had set up a high-speed, wireless Internet network for the remote Amazon island town of Parintins as part of its Intel World Ahead program, which aims to bridge the digital divide between wealthy countries like the United States and underdeveloped locales, according to a Sept. 20 company press release posted on BusinessWire.com.

Intel plans to invest upwards of $1 billion over a period of five years in the World Ahead initiative, and the Amazon project will enable Parintins residents to better access a variety of materials and information related to health care, education and general knowledge, according to the release.

“Technology has expanded what is possible in Parintins,” said Craig Barrett, Intel chairman, in the release. “It is now a place where wireless broadband links to the Internet bring the expertise of specialists, sophisticated medical imaging and the world’s libraries to a community reachable only by airplane or boat.”

Intel worked in conjunction with the Brazilian government, as well as local business and academia representatives to build the WiMax network for a health-care center, two schools and a community facility, as well as Amazon University, according to the release. Parintins’ roughly 114,000 residents will have access to the network at these specific locations.

Intel also funded and installed telemedicine equipment at the health center and built computer rooms at the public schools.

“We’ve been blessed with this project,” said Parintins Mayor Frank Bi Garcia in the release.

Intel also had support from Cisco, CPqD, Embratel, Proxim, the Bradesco Foundation and a number of local universities, according to the release.

Intel will continue with its World Ahead project by bringing Internet access to additional remote communities in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, according to the release.

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