Brazil Post Office sees 4,176 access points by end 2003
Brazil’s federal post office ECT expects to end 2003 with 4,176 Internet access terminals in operation across 3,200 municipalities, local press reported.
During the first year of operations ECT expects its terminals to provide Internet access for some 3 million people that would not otherwise have access, ECT Internet operations director Antonio de Paula Branquehais said. Eventually this and other projects should provide Internet access to 42 million people.
ECT already operates a number of terminals under pilot projects in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where the public can create e-mail accounts and use the Shopping Virtual online mall. Small- and medium-sized enterprises can also use the system to solicit web-hosting support and payment solutions, as well as logistics service through ECT partner Sedex.
ECT’s four-year modernization plan calls for a 150mn reais (US$42.2mn) investment, including 113mn reais for installation of terminals, 19mn reais for provision of e-mail accounts and 18mn reais to build the virtual mall.
