The Government intends to take advantage of the major infrastructure projects, such as the project for the High Speed Train (HST), to expand the network of optical fibers in the country. According to the Minister for Communications, Paulo Bernardo, it is probable that this be implemented by Presidential Decree. This statement was made today (April 28th) during a public hearing at the Brazilian Parliament.
“The construction of the HST will also use optical fibers. Probably through a presidential decree, we will make sure that optical fibers are placed on all Government work projects”, the Minister said during the opening of the hearing.
In his opinion, among these work projects there are some planned for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in the area of urban mobility. “The Cup will also leave a heritage that will be used for the popularization of the Internet”, he added.
Mr. Bernardo also mentioned the precariousness of the distribution network (backhaul) in smaller cities as being a cause for concern. He also mentioned the need to provide conditions so that the speed of broadband may increase, at more accessible prices. The Minister’s forecast is that the State and also private enterprise will invest between R$ 6.5 billion and R$ 7 billion on these fronts alone. Out of this total, it is expected that the State will invest some R$ 4 billion over four years.
“Some vehicles have informed of a dressing-down that I received from President Dilma [Rousseff] because of the need to increase the speed of broadband. This is indeed true. The companies will have the obligation to bring down their prices”, he said, after defending the Idea that the implementation costs of the National Broadband Plan (Plano Nacional de Banda Larga - PNBL) will be made through partnerships between the Government and private companies.
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04/05 | News
