TIC Households 2016 indicates stability in the number of households connected via Fixed Broadband
Survey finds that mobile connections have stood out in classes D/E, the North region, and rural areas
The number of households connected through fixed broadband remains stable in Brazil. This is what the survey TIC Households 2016 indicates, released this Tuesday (05) by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br), through the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br) of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br). Fixed broadband is the type of connection used by 23 million households, the same level as in 2015.
Mobile Internet access, on the other hand, has been prominent. Mobile broadband is the main form of connection for one-quarter of Brazilian households with Internet access, present in 9.3 million households. Among connected residences, mobile connections are found in greater proportions in classes D/E, in the North region, and in rural areas.
The survey also reveals that the proportion of households with Internet access but no computer has doubled in two years, rising from 7% in 2014 to 14% in 2016 — equivalent to 4.4 million households. “The results indicate a greater presence of mobile access in Brazilian households, mainly occurring through the use of cell phones. However, the growth of mobile broadband is more intense among homes of less privileged social classes and in regions that traditionally show more restricted connectivity, such as the North region and rural areas,” emphasizes Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br.
Connected vs. disconnected
In Brazil, 54% of households are connected to the Internet, representing 36.7 million residences — a growth of three percentage points compared to 2015. The patterns of inequality revealed by the survey's historical series persist: only 23% of households in classes D/E are connected to the Internet, while in rural areas, this proportion is 26%. Internet access is more present in urban area households (59%) and in classes A (98%) and B (91%).
The survey further reveals that in 18% of connected residences, the Internet is also used by the neighboring household. This practice of sharing the Internet connection is more common in households located in rural areas (30%) and in the Northeast region (28%).
The TIC Households 2016 also presents an indicator on the main reason for the lack of Internet in households in Brazil: 26% of disconnected households claim the connection is expensive, while 18% cite lack of interest.
Access devices and type of connection
The TIC Households 2016 survey indicates that Internet use by individuals aged 10 and over increased from 58% in 2015 to 61% in 2016. In total, Brazil has 107.9 million Internet users.
The survey confirms the trend, already revealed in the 2015 edition, of the mobile phone's rise as the main device for network access. In 2016, 93% of Internet users accessed the network using their mobile phones, an increase of four percentage points compared to the previous year. Conversely, a decline was noted in the percentage of users accessing the network via computer: 80% of users in 2014 and 57% of Internet users in 2016.
The main location for Internet access continues to be the household itself (92%), and the proportion of users accessing the Internet at another person's house (friend, neighbor, or relative) remains significant (60%).
Among Internet users via cell phone, Wi-Fi remains the most mentioned type of connection: 86% of users report using Wi-Fi, while 70% use 3G or 4G networks. Additionally, one in four users claims to have connected exclusively via Wi-Fi (25%), a habit more common among those aged 10 to 15 (42%). Another 11% access only through 3G or 4G networks, a proportion higher among classes D/E (18%).
Online activities carried out
Regarding online activities, the most mentioned continue to be using the Internet for sending instant messages (89%) and social media use (78%) - proportions that remain stable compared to the previous edition of the survey. In 2016, it was observed that 17% of users used the Internet to advertise or sell products or services, while this proportion was only 7% in 2012.
The TIC Households 2016 also shows differences in online cultural goods consumption between residents in urban and rural areas. While 70% of Internet users from urban areas claim to watch videos, programs, movies, or series online, this proportion is 56% in rural areas. Listening to music online is an activity carried out by 64% of users in urban areas and 53% in rural areas. “The indicator also reveals the existence of inequalities regarding the type of activities performed by users, depending on infrastructure conditions, especially when it comes to applications that require higher bandwidth speeds, such as video streaming. This is another important point to ensure full digital inclusion,” emphasizes Barbosa.
In its 12th edition, the study conducted interviews in more than 23,000 households across the national territory, between November 2016 and June 2017, aiming to measure the use of information and communication technologies in households, individual access to computers and the Internet, activities developed on the network, among other indicators.
To access TIC Households 2016 in full, as well as review the historical series, visit https://cetic.br/. Compare the evolution of indicators through the data visualization available at: https://data.cetic.br/cetic/explore?idPesquisa=TIC_DOM.
About Cetic.br
The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society, at NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on Internet availability and usage in Brazil, disseminating periodic analyses and information on the network's development in the country. Cetic.br is a Regional Study Center, under the auspices of UNESCO. More information at https://www.cetic.br/.
About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br
The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (https://www.nic.br/) is a civil, private, non-profit entity, which besides implementing decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, has in its responsibilities: coordinating the domain name registration - Registro.br (https://www.registro.br/), studying, responding to, and addressing security incidents in Brazil - CERT.br (https://www.cert.br/), studying and researching network technologies and operations - Ceptro.br (https://www.ceptro.br/), producing indicators on information and communication technologies - Cetic.br (https://www.cetic.br/), fostering and promoting the evolution of the Web in Brazil - Ceweb.br (https://www.ceweb.br/) and hosting the W3C office in Brazil (https://www.w3c.br/).
About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to Internet use and development in Brazil, coordinates and integrates all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and dissemination of the services offered. Based on the principles of multistakeholderism and transparency, CGI.br represents a democratic model of Internet governance, internationally praised, where all sectors of society participate equally in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Use (https://www.cgi.br/principios). More information at https://www.cgi.br/.
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Cetic.br and Unesco
In 2012, Cetic.br became a UNESCO Category 2 Center, the first of its kind dedicated to the development of information and knowledge societies. The Center is linked to the Communication and Information (CI) Sector, one of UNESCO’s five areas of work. It contributes to achieving the organization’s strategic objectives by strengthening its efforts to monitor the building of information and knowledge societies. Cetic.br’s scope of action includes Latin America and the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa.
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