Information Society Watch

2007, Cristina Kiomi Mori and Rodrigo Ortiz Assumpção

This article discusses Brazil's achievements and challenges in implementing public policies aimed at digital inclusion. The major focus of these policies was to enhance participation by building infrastructure to facilitate public and community use. The government has mainly used mainly strategies in this direction, viz., providing incentives for personal acquisition of equipments, equipping public schools with ICT and implementing public access centers for universal use. The authors point out the National Digital Inclusion Observatory and Computer for Inclusion project as successful examples. However, some challenges remain, notably provision of broadband access to the Internet, funding for the maintenance of existing infrastructure, facilitating local content production, ensuring universal access to facilities in the local level, and developing of local government budgetary and administrative capacity.

Read full text