Position Paper 2 - Digital Access

Hannah Diffee

Professor Reppert

International Mass Media

Oct. 2023

Position Paper 2 - Digital Access

Digital access is crucial in the modern age. The internet has vastly influenced culture and changed how people go about their lives. Data Reportal shows that five billion people use the internet worldwide. However, the internet is not easily accessible to everyone. Many issues, such as regional differences and low-quality digital infrastructure, often limit people's access to the web.

Brazil and its Move for Digital Access

Brazil is a country in South America. It is the seventh most-populated nation in the world, with an estimated population of 218 million (CIA World Factbook). Its largest city is São Paulo, which has a population of about 22 million. Brazil has five large geographic regions: north, northeast, central-west, southeast, and south. The nation's northern region is home to the Amazon rainforest, which covers nearly half of the country's area. Brazil gained independence from Portugal in 1822, and since then, it has become a prominent world power. Specifically, Brazil is notable for having the fifth-largest digital population in the world.

The National Telecommunications Agency regulates all telecommunications in Brazil (radio, television, internet, etc). The independent agency, also known as Anatel, was founded in 1997. It "promotes fair competition in the market while also promoting the innovation of equipment" (Anatel). Brazil's federal government has created many internet expansion and improvement plans since 2010, though people have criticized these programs for offering low-quality broadband connections. One of the government's programs is PNBL, a national broadband plan, that they put into place after the national internet connection averaged 0.55 Mbps. With PNBL, the Brazilian government aimed to introduce affordable broadband plans and expand digital infrastructure. From 2011 to 2013, the country saw over 82,000 feet of fiber optic cables installed to bring the internet to even more people. The government plans to bring fiber optic coverage to over 5,000 municipalities that do not currently have fiber access by 2024.

Threats to Press Freedom

Jair Bolsonaro, who served as prime minister of the country from 2019 to 2022, has been a challenge to the press and media. Bolsonaro and his supporters have made attacks against the press and staged riots across the country. Bolsonaro supposedly has a habit of blocking social media users who criticize him. In 2021, Bolsonaro signed a decree requiring tech companies to provide "just cause and motivation" before removing an account from their platforms. This decree came after several social media sites removed posts from his supporters for sharing misinformation. Bolsonaro himself had several YouTube videos removed for spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. After a week, the Brazilian Senate and Supreme Court overturned his policy. 

Internet Access in Depth

According to the Inclusive Internet Index, 75% of Brazilian households have internet access. That is a vast increase from 2000, in which less than 3% of citizens had access to the internet. 

Despite Brazil's great strides, regional disparities in internet usage and access are still an issue. Studies show that 72% of residents in rural regions use the internet, compared to 82% of urban residents. Rural resident usage has increased by 38% since 2015, but more work is necessary to provide digital access to all people, regardless of their incomes.

A map showing internet usage by region

Internet Accessibility During the Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, regional differences in access became more noticeable. "Most students accessed content through digital resources, mainly via websites, social networks, or videoconferencing platforms and, to a lesser extent, through applications offered by schools, universities, or departments of education. The main barriers faced by students to accessing learning content and remote activities were difficulties with asking teachers questions, lack of or low quality of Internet connection, and lack of incentive to study" (ICT Panel COVID-19). There were disparities in access to online services, especially for people most vulnerable to the health crisis: "...only a small proportion of users 60 and older, and those in [lower classes] carried out some public service completely remotely."

BNAmericas reported in 2020 that about 47 million Brazilians were offline, 35 million of whom lived in rural areas. People with lower incomes were, and still are, the least likely group to have access to the internet. The World Bank reports that 58% of Brazilians with low and middle incomes use the internet. 

Other Barriers to Access

According to Freedom House, 61% of households without internet access in 2018 said cost was their main barrier. In São Paulo, the average cost of internet per month is 107 reals, or $21. The cost of access, though not much to most of us, can become pricey when combined with other living expenses.  Even when cost isn't the issue, internet speeds may inhibit ease of access. Freedom House also wrote that "...20 percent of households with internet access still reported connection speeds under 5 Mbps in 2018, according to the most recently available data." 

The following images show internet connection speeds in Brazil vs. internet connection speeds in the United States:

Brazilians who do not use the internet cite several reasons for doing so. Some of their top reasons are "lack of computer skills," "lack of interest," "lack of necessity," and "too expensive." 

Smartphones

Smartphones are quickly becoming the primary device people use to access the internet. Phones, while invaluable to communication, information, and entertainment, can be expensive. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the cheapest smartphone costs 14% of a person's monthly income. Compared to countries with smaller monthly earnings per person, smartphones are very affordable. On the extreme end, a person in Azerbaijan, a nation in eastern Asia, would have to spend 333% of their monthly income to buy the cheapest mobile phone. However, in the United Kingdom, a smartphone costs less than 1% of a person's monthly income (Alliance for Affordable Internet). As of October 2023, an iPhone 15 costs around $1,400 in Brazil. In the United States, consumers can buy the phone for around $800 from the Apple website.