Brazil Launches Plan To
Triple Broadband Internet Access by 2014
BRASILIA - The Brazilian government
Wednesday officially launched the National
Broadband Plan, under which it aims to
triple high speed Internet access by 2014
and quadruple the number of households
counting on the service at a speed equal to
or greater than 512 kbps.
The target is to increase from the current
12 million households that have Internet
access to 40 million, charging a monthly fee
between 15 and 35 reals (between 8.5 and 20
U.S. dollars), depending on tax incentives
applied.
The president's chief of staff Erenice
Guerra said the plan's main objective is to
expand access to poorer segments of the
population.
"The country's development will only be
effective with broadband access being used
as a tool of social inclusion", he stressed.
The total cost for the project to be carried
out over the next four years is
approximately 12.8 billion reais (7.230
billion dollars).
In 2010, the goal is to implement the core
of the network in the Federal District and
in 15 states in Northeast and Southeast
regions, which are being prioritized for
having fiber optic ring that allows
broadband to be extended and that will
guarantee access to about 100 cities.
Planning Minister Paulo Bernardo said that
the plan will also facilitate development of
small and medium-sized enterprises,
including those with foreign trade which
seek new markets.
State-controlled communications company
Telebras said Tuesday it will manage the
project with a fund of 3.2 billion reals
(1.8 billion dollars). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
