In total, 1,842 Brazilian cities, in 25 states and the Federal District, already have access to popular broadband. The initiative, providing a fast connection speed of 1 megabit per second for a monthly fee of R$ 35 (including taxes), is the result of a partnership formed in June last year between the Ministry of Communications and fixed line operators. The list was updated on Tuesday, with the inclusion of new cities.

To ensure compliance with the agreement, which provides for services in all Brazilian municipalities until 2014, the Ministry of Communications carries out detailed monitoring of the actions undertaken by businesses. In addition to the provision of popular broadband, companies need to disclose the service, ensuring the public is informed that the service already exists in their city.

The measure is part of a set of actions under the National Broadband Program (PNBL) which aims to increase access to the World Wide Web throughout Brazil. The package of measures in the program also includes tax cuts, incentives for building telecom infrastructure, modernization of legislation and construction of a geostationary satellite, among others. The reactivation of Telebras, a state-owned company that sells capacity to small and medium providers, is another of the measures that is helping to bring Internet access to the most remote places in the country.

 

Source:
Ministry of Communications