Banco do Brasil to take free fast wireless internet to some 500 inland cities

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Three months after signing a partnership with the Ministry of Communications to expand the Wi-Fi Brazil Program, Banco do Brasil has announced the number of locations that should benefit from the program.

According to the government-owned financial institution, up to 500 inland cities will have free high-speed Internet points, thereby increasing the number of cities served by the program to around 3,500.

Operating via satellite in places with no access to fiber optics, the Internet points will be installed with the sponsorship of Banco do Brasil, preferably near bank branches.

In addition to Wi-Fi access, the partnership foresees training customers for the digital world, consulting in financial education, and the use of banking services by rural producers.

The list of locations has not been made public, but Banco do Brasil announced that cities with little or no internet connection will be served. The program is expected to reach schools, health clinics, public security units, indigenous villages, quilombos, rural settlements, and other public installations.

Entrepreneurship

In addition to lectures and courses in financial education, the Wi-Fi network will be used to promote courses in entrepreneurship promoted by the Brazilian Support Service to Micro and Small Businesses (SEBRAE).

The program also foresees promoting the use of internet banking services by rural producers. Farmers and ranchers will not need to visit a bank branch to make transactions, being able to solve most of the problems through the bank’s mobile app.

According to the Ministry of Communications, Wi-Fi Brasil had installed 13,213 free, high-speed broadband satellite internet access points throughout the country by mid-March this year, benefiting some 8.5 million people.

The program is present in almost 3,000 municipalities, mostly in Brazil’s North and Northeast regions.

Source: Moneytimes