PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION & ICTs PHASE II REPORT Brazil

Abstract

In recent years, Brazil has undertaken substantial efforts to provide the public with access to information and communication technologies (ICT) to help further the country’s social and economic development. A national mobilization towards “digital inclusion” is currently taking place, in both government and civil society. This movement includes initiatives to promote ICT access in underserved communities, tax deductions to reduce computer prices, and investment in telecenter and school IT lab creation via national policies. In addition, an entrepreneur‐driven boom in cybercafés—mostly located in low income neighborhoods–has drastically altered the internet access landscape in the country. For this study, three main venues for public access to information and communication were investigated: public libraries, telecenters, and cybercafés. These categories were chosen based on the quantity of centers, the type and extent of network partners involved and the degree to which they serve or have the potential to serve the underserved population. For this report, Brazilian researchers have aggregated results from previous studies, policy documents, and their own research from venue visits, surveys and interviews to explain how ICT is accessed by people in these centers and how meaningful use and social appropriation of information and technology happens.