Colombia to Deploy Fiber Optic Internet in the Amazon via Rivers
- Colombia is advancing a large-scale infrastructure project to deploy fiber optic cables along the Putumayo and Amazon rivers.
- The project is part of a broader strategic vision to establish a regional bioceanic network.
- The Colombian government plans to tender the deployment of approximately 1,880 kilometers of new fiber optic cabling.
Colombia is advancing a large-scale infrastructure project to deploy fiber optic cables along the Putumayo and Amazon rivers. The initiative aims to bring high-speed internet to remote regions of the Colombian Amazon, utilizing the riverbeds as conduits for digital connectivity to bridge existing digital divides.
The project is part of a broader strategic vision to establish a regional bioceanic network. By leveraging subfluvial fiber optics, the Colombian government intends to connect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, positioning the country as a critical link in global digital communication infrastructure.
Technical Scope and Deployment
The Colombian government plans to tender the deployment of approximately 1,880 kilometers of new fiber optic cabling. This infrastructure will be distributed across different environments to ensure comprehensive coverage in the region.
- 1,600 kilometers of deployment along the Putumayo River.
- 70 kilometers of deployment along the Amazon River.
- 210 kilometers of land-based deployment.
The network is designed to connect several key locations, including Leticia, Tarapacá, Puerto Nariño, Puerto Alegría, El Encanto, and Puerto Arica in the Amazonas department, as well as Puerto Asís, Puerto Leguízamo, and San Miguel in Putumayo.
Once completed, the project is expected to provide connectivity to approximately 227,000 inhabitants and 100,000 households. The estimated investment for this deployment is 970 billion Colombian pesos, which is approximately US$260 million, with an execution window spanning from 2026 to 2035.
Bathymetry and Binational Cooperation
A critical component of the project’s technical foundation is the use of bathymetry, the scientific process of measuring water depths and mapping the contours of river channels. These underwater surveys are essential for determining the precise placement of fiber optic cables to avoid obstacles and ensure long-term stability.
The project has been supported by binational cooperation with Brazil. Brazilian authorities provided critical bathymetric studies to Colombian leadership, which were received by Minister Carina Murcia. These studies provide the scientific data necessary to transform the Putumayo and Amazon rivers into digital highways.
This cooperation follows the arrival of fiber optics at the Colombian border via subfluvial routes from Belém do Pará, Brazil. The existing link serves as the starting point for the extension of the network further into the Amazon and toward the Pacific Ocean.
Strategic and Social Objectives
The Colombian government views the project as a means of settling a historic debt
to the Amazon region. By providing high-speed internet, the administration aims to strengthen essential services including education, health, and local productivity in some of the country’s most isolated territories.
Fiber optics have already reached our border, subfluvially, from Belém do Pará [Brazil]. People can extend it along other rivers, such as the Putumayo, to take it all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
President Gustavo Petro
Beyond domestic connectivity, the initiative considers future extensions to Ecuador and Peru, further integrating the South American digital landscape through the proposed bioceanic fiber network.
Procurement and Timeline
The project is moving into the procurement phase. The draft terms and conditions for the tender, identified as FTIC-LP-001-2026, were made available for public comment in the Secop II public procurement system, with a comment deadline of March 30, 2026.
With the investment period set between 2026 and 2035, the project represents a long-term commitment to transforming the Amazonian river system into a backbone for regional and international data transmission.