“Wi-Fi Brasil” brought connectivity and inclusion to remote locations by 2021

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – “Wi-Fi Brasil” advanced in 2021 to bring connectivity and digital inclusion to locations in remote areas with little or no connection.

The Ministry of Communications’ (MCom) program reached 14,200 active points in 3,000 Brazilian municipalities this year. There are still points being accepted and others in the installation process that, added to the active ones, reach 15,000, which benefit more than nine million Brazilians.

“We can arrive in a community that does not have Internet access, place this Wi-Fi Brasil antenna, and, from that moment on, within a radius of 200 meters, all the people in that city have unlimited, free access. It is bringing information to those who don’t have it; it is bringing education”, emphasizes the Minister of Communications, Fábio Faria.

Of the active Wi-Fi Brasil hotspots in the country, most (69%) are in public schools, mainly in rural areas, comprising 2,900 cities. With the arrival of the connection, teachers and students now have access to high-speed internet to carry out research and search for information to strengthen their teaching.

The Wi-Fi Brasil connection also reaches 663 health units, 470 indigenous communities, 327 community associations, 639 public security units, 198 border posts, and more than 2,200 public spaces that directly serve the population.

Faria highlights the importance of the program to guarantee Brazil’s development. “Social inclusion today only comes with digital inclusion. In the pandemic, it was proven that telecom service is essential. Therefore, we cannot wait to fulfill the goal of connecting all Brazilians”, he highlights.

EXTENSION OF THE PROGRAM

In 2021, the MCom signed meaningful partnerships to expand the reach of the Wi-Fi Brasil program. Technical cooperation agreements were signed with Sebrae and the Banco do Brasil Foundation to install 1,000 new Internet points.

The Technical Cooperation Agreement (ACT) with the Banco do Brasil Foundation also foresees digital education initiatives with the supply of educational content available in the Wi-Fi Brasil platform. In the ACT signed with Sebrae, actions were designed to enhance innovation in the public sector, aiming to connect the leading laboratories in the institutions with small businesses’ agendas, solutions, and practices.

The MCom and Telebras also signed the fifth addendum to expand the program. With the increase in resources, the number of points around the country may exceed 26,500, providing broadband internet via satellite at speeds of ten, 15, or 20 megabits per second (Mbps).

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