Clipping of news on Brazilian Culture, Law and Citizenship
14/01/2013
This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.
Connecting more modern only reached 1.2 million people, one third of expected
RIO and REEF - A year after being released by the government, the National Broadband Plan (PNBL), which offers internet fixed to R$ 35 per month with a speed of 1 megabyte (MB) ended 2012 with 1.2 million users 2300 in the cities. But analysts believe the number could be three times higher. To try to reverse this situation, the Ministry of Communications and study Telebras double data rate earlier this year to 2 MB per month and price between R$ 35 and R$ 40.
The picture becomes more critical when considering the government's bold goal: to get to 2014 with 40 million homes connected to the Internet with minimum speed of 1 MB. Today, according to IBGE data, only 22,395,000 homes (36.5% of total households in Brazil) have some sort of connection to the network.
- You will need a very high growth this year and in 2014. The PNBL should at least be growing three times. The first barrier is the computer, only present in 40% of homes - says consultant Virgilio Freire.
Created to increase digital inclusion in the country, PNBL bumped into initial resistance from providers and telecom service provider to join the bid, said the president of Telebras, Caio Bonilha. He said the plan, released in October 2011, only began to gain momentum in mid-2012. But the obstacles they overcome, experts remind, as competition with internet connection plans of prepaid cell phones and the low presence of computers in Brazilian homes.
Monthly fixed expense is barrier
Apart from telcos like Oi, Vivo, Claro and TIM, Telebras rents its network to providers, who sell to the end consumer PNBL. Bonilha account that in December 2012 there were 97 active contracts with small Internet companies, a total of 150 agreements already signed. The network of Telebras already been installed in 900 municipalities.
- Of the total clients PNBL, Telebras is somewhere between 5% and 8%. Is still little. In the beginning there was a lot of resistance, because companies believed that the offer (R$ 35) would cannibalize their products - Bonilha says.
Except that the lower prices were not enough to propel the plane.
- Who can escape the obligation to pay a monthly bill. Therefore, Internet cafes and offers prepaid internet just competing with PNBL. The plan is getting to meet the people with no history of internet consumption. But many customers end up switching to plans with higher capacity - explains Eduardo Tude, president of consultancy Teleco, specializing in telecommunications.
That's why the government wants to give more power to PNBL in 2013. André Moura Gomes, manager of the Department of Broadband Ministry of Communications, says the goal is to increase the speed of the plan to attract more customers:
- We are discussing with Telebras the increase in speed.
The president of Telebras admits he is just 1 MB:
- The PNBL have to update, increasing speed and expanding its network. In 2012, we put 15,000 km network in operation. In late 2012, we activated the network in the Northeast, which totals 4,600 km.
With PNBL still crawling in the Northeast, Pernambuco Manuela Conceição da Silva Gomes, 27, the skin feels the problem of high cost of broadband. Neighbor Community Crab in the West Zone of Recife, she found no package compatible with your income - your husband is unemployed and she works in the trade. The operator required the installation of fixed line to provide Internet access for a fee that would surpass the R$ 100 monthly.
Having no choice, she opted for shared internet, which has become common in low-income communities of the city. Several neighbors share a common signature, which gives a maximum cost of R$ 30 per household. The community has 4,000 homes.
- I bought the computer three years ago, in 11 installments. I just paid but had no internet - Manuela account. - My neighbor bought a 10 MB service and shares with five families.
In Rio, the saleswoman Claudia Amaral, 22, lives near the Morro dos Macacos in Vila Isabel. She hired the R$ 35 plan, but complains that only can access at dawn:
- R$ 35 These are very badly worn. I think it's better to stay in the mobile internet prepaid.
Sought, operators did not want to talk about the PNBL. Vivo said in a statement that "as the customer starts using the service, naturally feels the need to internet options with higher performance and speed." The Oi stressed that the country will only be covered at the end of 2014. The president of a tele, who asked not to be identified, said it was almost one user per kilometer of fiber:
- When you leave the big cities, the network cost is much higher. No allowance is there and will not have the same demand from major centers. (Collaborated Letícia Lins)
Source: The Globe Online
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This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.