Brazil would be keen to discuss, learn and exchange strategic ideas with South Africa in terms of both countries’ aspirations to create access to broadband for all citizens, particularly in rural areas, Brazil’s national regulatory agency Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações, or Anatel, executive superintendent Simone Scholze told Engineering News Online on Monday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the International Institute of Communications 2011 annual conference, in Johannesburg, she pointed out the similarities that both countries experienced with regard to broadband targets, and hoped the conference would create a platform through which both countries could cooperate in future.

As much as Brazil was keen to share it experiences with other regulators, the country was also keen to learn from others.

As such, she pointed out that a Brazilian delegation would be visiting South Africa shortly to learn from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa about lessons learnt from the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“One of the major challenges that the Brazilian government and Anatel have is the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which will require high-capacity infrastructure and enforcement.

“This event will demand special treatment by public authorities, both to make spectrum resources available and to supervise necessary actions to fulfil all international commitments undertaken by Brazil,” Scholze explained.

By the end of 2010, broadband access in Brazil had reached more than 34-million people for both fixed line and mobile broadband, but the number represented only 31% of urban households and 6% of rural households.

In South Africa, there are about 4.5-million broadband connections, equating to a current broadband penetration rate of about 9%.

Scholze said that the challenge in creating access in urban areas in Brazil was affordability, and in rural areas, service availability.

The country also has a commercial broadband speed of 2 Mb/s, which she said was “still very low”.

Last year, the Brazilian government established a national broadband plan (NBP) to deal with significant challenges in this area.

The plan focused on the availability of infrastructure and the design of compatible industrial and technological  policy, as well as how broadband could be used to deal with applications, services, proposals for e-government, education, health, public security, trade and entertainment.

In the next few days, Scholze said new tax and financial measures would be taken in the country with the aim of stimulating the expansion of networks and investment in infrastructure.

The Brazilian government will be submitting to Parliament a proposal of a special tax arrangement for the NBP. The tax burden for equipment and infrastructure works necessary for the deployment of broadband networks, she said.

“The exemptions should result in a tax waiver on the part of the federal government of $6-billion by 2016. The expectation is that private investment in high-speed networks increase by $20-billion over the next four years.”

She alluded to the importance of broadband as a tool to improve citizenship through digital inclusion, to improve the quality and transparency of public services, and to broadband's role as an enabler of economic growth and a platform for communication.

As such, Anatel would soon begin to promote new auctions, which will also contribute to the diffusion of broadband in the country, as well as the introduction of 4G technologies, to ensure a high-level telecommunication infrastructure.

“All of these new bidding processes are more focused on technical coverage commitments associated to local technology investments and not only revenue collections, as in the past,” Scholze explained.
 

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