Increased Internet usage during the pandemic as Brazil's user number reaches 152 million, according to Cetic.br survey

New indicator on Internet use during the pandemic is part of the ICT Households 2020 (COVID-19 Edition - Adapted Methodology), launched this Wednesday

Brazil has 152 million Internet users, which corresponds to 81% of the country's population aged 10 or older. This estimate is from the ICT Households 2020 (COVID-19 Edition - Adapted Methodology) survey, promoted by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) and launched this Wednesday (18) by the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br) of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br). For the first time, the survey identified a higher proportion of households with internet access (83%) than individual users (81%). Compared to 2019, the increase was 12 and 7 percentage points, respectively.

The methodology used in this survey edition had to be adapted to the limitations imposed by the new coronavirus pandemic. Interviews were conducted between October 2020 and May 2021, preferably by phone.

“During the pandemic, the Internet was more in demand due to the migration of essential activities to the digital environment. The results show the network's resilience in a health crisis scenario,” points out Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br|NIC.br.

Online activities
The survey reiterated the increase in online activities during the pandemic, which had been previously identified by the ICT COVID-19 Panel. However, the survey showed that inequalities in taking advantage of online opportunities still persist. Users from Class C, for example, took more distance learning courses and studied more independently in 2020 compared to 2019, but still at lower rates than users from Class A.

According to the survey, more users sought (42%) or used (37%) public online services in 2020. These activities were more concentrated among urban residents with higher education and from classes A and B.

There was also an increase in financial transactions in the digital environment (43%, against 33% in 2019), with a more significant increase among those from Classes C and DE.

Households with Internet
The growth in the proportion of households with Internet access occurred across all segments analyzed: in urban and rural areas, in all regions, across all family income brackets and social strata. Households in Classes C (91%) and DE (64%) showed the biggest differences compared to 2019 (80% and 50%, respectively), and regional differences decreased.

The main type of home connection was fixed broadband (68%), with a notable increase in cable or fiber optic connections, consistent with what was revealed in the latest edition of the ICT Providers.

The study also showed an increase in the presence of computers (desktop, laptop, or tablet) in households (rising from 39% in 2019 to 45% in 2020), reversing a declining trend seen in recent years.

Internet users
The survey detected an increase in the proportion of Internet users compared to 2019, especially among rural residents (from 53% in 2019 to 70% in 2020), among people aged 60 or more (from 34% to 50%), among those with elementary education (from 60% to 73%), among women (from 73% to 85%) and in Classes DE (from 57% to 67%).

“In 2020, there was an acceleration in network usage among more vulnerable segments of the population. Despite the wider reach of the Internet in Brazil, indicators point to the persistence of inequalities in access, with a prevalence of users from higher classes, those educated, and younger people,” notes Barbosa.

TV surpasses computer
For the first time in the survey's historical series, the proportion of Internet access via television exceeded the proportion of access via computer, reaching 44% of Brazilian users (7 percentage points above what was recorded in 2019). “The increase in Internet use via TV is associated with the consumption of culture and entertainment, which during the pandemic became more reported by a larger segment of the population,” says Alexandre Barbosa. The most significant differences in the use of the Internet via TV compared to 2019 were observed among users aged 16 to 24 years (reaching 54%) and Black users (48%).

Methodology
The survey conducted interviews in 5,590 households by phone and face-to-face collection. The collection methodology was adapted due to the pandemic to restrict the movement of interviewers amidst social distancing measures. Although the indicators are aligned with those disclosed in previous survey editions, comparisons should be made cautiously, given that the current edition's margins of error are higher and the effects of the changes in methodology are not fully known.

“With the survey's release, the CGI.br reinforces its commitment to producing statistics to support public policies. Despite the constraints characterizing the period, the data presented are unique, as they allow understanding the dynamics of network access and use during the pandemic period,” concludes Marcio Migon, CGI.br coordinator.

To access the full list of indicators, visit: https://cetic.br/pt/pesquisa/domicilios/indicadores/. To watch the online survey launch event, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-OYiCOgilU.

About Cetic.br

The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), part of NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on Internet access and use in Brazil, disseminating surveys and sector studies on network development in the country. Cetic.br is a Regional Center for Studies under the auspices of UNESCO. More information at https://cetic.br/.

About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br
The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (https://nic.br/) is a private, non-profit civil entity responsible for the operation of the .br domain, as well as the distribution of IP numbers and the registration of Autonomous Systems in the country. NIC.br implements decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee - CGI.br since 2005, and all resources collected come from its activities, which are eminently private. It conducts actions and projects that benefit Internet infrastructure in Brazil. NIC.br includes: Registro.br (https://registro.br), CERT.br (https://cert.br/), Ceptro.br (https://ceptro.br/), Cetic.br (https://cetic.br/), IX.br (https://ix.br/) and Ceweb.br (https://ceweb.br), as well as projects like Internetsegura.br (https://internetsegura.br) and the Good Practices for Internet in Brazil Portal (https://bcp.nic.br/). It also hosts the W3C Chapter São Paulo office (https://w3c.br/).

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee is responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to the use and development of the Internet in Brazil, coordinating and integrating all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and the dissemination of services offered. Based on the principles of multilateralism and transparency, CGI.br represents a democratic Internet governance model internationally praised, where all sectors of society equally participate in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Use (https://cgi.br/principios). More information at https://cgi.br/.

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