RedCLARA interconnects the national advanced academic networks from Latin America among themselves and with networks in Europe (GÉANT2), the United States (Internet2), Asia (APAN) and the rest of the world, providing scientists, academics and researchers in the region with an infrastructure that allows them to effectively collaborate with the global scientific community.

On 15 November 2004 RedCLARA began providing connectivity to the region, linking national research and education networks in Latin America via the Points of Presence (PoPs) established in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama and Mexico, and connecting them to GÉANT2 at 622 Mbps via the link between Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Madrid (Spain). In 2007, RedCLARA added to its backbone a sixth node (PoP) in Miami (USA), to which the Central American networks connect. Thanks to the WHREN/LILA project, the RedCLARA network it is also connected with the United States through the links established between the Tijuana (Mexico) node and the San Diego (USA Pacific Coast) node, and between Sao Paulo and Miami.

RedCLARA’s architecture and engineering, as well as the types of links and traffic exchange procedures, are in charge of the CLARA NEG (Network Engineering Group). The Network Operations Centre (NOC) is responsible for the administration, control, monitoring and daily operation of all the physical and logic infrastructures which constitute the Red CLARA backbone, ensuring high levels of performance and operation of the network and its interconnections.

RedCLARA offers IPv4, Multicast, IPv6 and IPv6 Multicast and broadband availability (QoS) services, and specialized services -such as Grids and others- for specific projects.

With an unprecedented traffic capacity, RedCLARA is an ideal infrastructure for the growth of national research networks in the region and a unique platform for the development of regional and intercontinental collaborations. By encouraging regional cooperation, the promotion of scientific and technological development and the direct integration of the world’s scientific communities, RedCLARA is fundamental for research and education in Latin America: it links twelve countries and 729 universities (more than 671.986 academics, 104.607 researchers and 3.763.142 students) throughout the continent, at speeds of up to 622Mbps.