wiredinUSA April 2013

Rousseff calls for decade of investment

Brazilian communications minister Paulo Bernardo has confirmed that president Dilma Rousseff has asked the communications ministry, Minicom, to outline a national project to extend fiber optic network infrastructure to all the country's regions within the next ten years. Theminister said the government has earmarked an initial budget of $51.2 billion for the project, which will include partnerships with the private sector, tax breaks, credit from national development bank BNDES, and investment from state-controlled telco Telebras. According to Bernardo, the program is still being studied by the government, with authorities and regulators looking at similar initiatives elsewhere todefine the

most suitable model. The results will be forwarded to president

Rousseff. Another

measure under consideration is to include clauses stipulating investment in the terms of the future 700MHz tender, which is for theexpansion of 4G in Brazil. According to the minister, the government could give away part or all of the earnings obtained from the tender, in exchange for investments in telecoms infrastructure such as fiber.

wiredInUSA - April 2013

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