A policy brief and set of recommendations for the regulatory agency of Brazil, ANATEL, the Ministry of Communications, the Universal Service and Technology Funds (FUST and FUNTTEL) and other authorities with powers over telecommunications and broadcast networks licensing and funding.
The brief has an executive summary, an introduction that explains why and how this project was chosen by FCDO, APC upon the request of ANATEL; the methodology and collective voices from Brazilian stakeholders that were involved in the making of the publication. It describes the status quo of connectivity in Brazil, mapping progress in Internet infrastructure and services penetration in rural v. urban areas; its digital ecosystem but also challenges, vulnerable groups face, including gender digital gaps, for millions of Brazilians in rural and remote areas, lack of affordability, local radios and networks, for instance. It also tells the story of how community networks came to existence before the Internet, what are their essential characteristics, diverse governance and services models around the global south and similarly, the brief includes a picture of existing community networks in Brazil, their goals, impact and challenges due to a lack of an enabling environment. https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/policy-brief-and-recommendations-enabling-environment-community-networks-brazil
Based upon literature review, 33 interviews to key stakeholders in Brazil, discussions within the CN Committee and international experiences and frameworks enabling community or local networks, the Brief wraps up with a set of policy and regulatory recommendations for Brazilian authorities in the areas of : opening dialogue with Brazilian community networks and advocates, licensing, access to spectrum, backhaul, public funding CN projects which embedd women and diverse ethnic and age groups, tax incentives for hardware imports and others. Document also available in Portuguese at: https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/policy-brief-and-recommendations-enabling-environment-community-networks-brazil
