backOn May 13, 2025, Brazil’s Ministry of Communications launched a public consultation aimed at supporting the development of a National Submarine Cable Policy. Open until June 27, 2025, the process is hosted on the Participa Mais Brasil platform and seeks to gather technical, regulatory, and strategic insights from public and private sector stakeholders, as well as civil society.
The initiative is part of the federal government’s broader effort to enhance Brazil’s digital infrastructure, reduce external dependency, and address the growing demand for high-capacity, secure, and resilient data transmission networks.
What’s under discussion?
The consultation includes 44 guiding questions covering a wide range of topics relevant to the submarine (or subaquatic) cable sector — not only those installed in oceans and seas, but also in rivers and lakes.
Key themes include:
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Regulatory and strategic priorities for policy formulation;
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Legal or normative barriers discouraging new investments;
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Criteria for defining Anchoring Interest Zones (ZIAs);
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Incentives to diversify geographic distribution of cable landing points;
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Definitions of “high concentration” regions for submarine cables;
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Support for terrestrial infrastructure, such as backhaul, data centers, and power supply;
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Financing models to support strategic connectivity projects;
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Mechanisms to attract private and public investments, including PPPs, tax incentives, and credit lines.
Participants are encouraged to reference international legislative and regulatory experiences, and to propose concrete governmental actions to strengthen the sector and mitigate future risks.
Why this policy matters
Although the term “submarine cables” is used, the scope of the policy includes the broader subaquatic cable ecosystem, recognizing its critical role in supporting domestic and international data traffic.
Amid increasing digitalization of public and private services, the federal government aims to reduce Brazil’s dependency on foreign digital infrastructure — such as overseas servers and international cables — to ensure greater cybersecurity, data sovereignty, and national digital autonomy.
This policy also has the potential to enhance network quality and performance nationwide, with positive effects across education, healthcare, innovation, and the digital economy.
Strategic opportunity for stakeholders
This public consultation presents a valuable opportunity for companies, operators, investors, law firms, and sector associations to actively contribute to shaping Brazil’s future regulatory landscape for connectivity infrastructure.
With the June 27 deadline approaching, stakeholders are encouraged to:
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Review regulatory gaps and risks within their areas of activity;
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Submit contributions grounded in practical experience or international benchmarks;
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Anticipate potential regulatory changes that could affect upcoming investment and expansion plans.
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