Brazilian surgeons have carried out the world’s first successful tele-surgery demonstration using a standard low-cost internet connection. Situated at more than 3,200 km distance, surgeons at the Convention Center Poet Ronaldo Cunha Lima controlled a surgical robot which carried out a procedure on an animal model (pig) at a university clinic in Curitiba.
The demonstration took place on October 10, 2025, at the 54th national convention of the medical association Unimed.
The necessary connectivity was provided by RNP, the national research and education network (NREN) of Brazil. While low-cost connectivity was a main feature of the demonstration, ultra-low latency was still needed. This was achieved through establishment of end-to-end connectivity between the RNP points-of-presence (PoPs) in Paraíba and Paraná.
Tele-surgery is now a reality
Besides RNP, several partners were involved in establishing and maintaining digital infrastructure for the demonstration. Ligga Telecom was last-mile responsible in Curitiba, while local connectivity at the Convention Center Poet Ronaldo Cunha Lima was provided by Codata. Furthermore, providers HostDime Brasil, UpLink, Soow Sigma, and Fortinet were all involved in the collaboration.
The physical side of the surgical procedure in Curitiba took place at Scolla, which is one of the key centers for surgical training in Latin America.
“Telesurgery is now a reality, it should no longer be seen as something lying in the future,” says Marcelo Loureiro, CEO of Scolla.
New technical and economic possibilities
The actions of the robot were managed in real-time by a team of doctors, scientists, and technology specialists at the convention center.
The initiative was part of the program for surgical robotics and tele-surgery of Unimed Brazil.
The demonstration brings new perspectives to both medical science and digital health care applications in Brazil, especially regarding technical and economic feasibility of using conventional connections for complex tasks.
For RNP, the results reinforce the strategy of disseminating technological innovations to critical areas in society, such as health care and education, while also providing infrastructure in support of scientific experiments, and training for professionals.
The text is inspired by the article “RNP conecta a primeira telecirurgia robótica do mundo com internet de baixo custo“ (in Portuguese) at the RNP website.
Photo: The world’s first robotic telesurgery performed with low-cost internet technology, using a non-dedicated network, during the 54th Unimed National Convention, at the João Pessoa Convention Center (PB). Credit: RNP.
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