Internet use in Brazil grows, and 70% of the population is connected

The number of Brazilians who use the internet continues to grow: it rose from 67% to 70% of the population, which is equivalent to 126.9 million people. This data is part of the new edition of the ICT Households survey, released on Wednesday (28), which is in the country's homes for Internet connection. The research, made annually by the Regional Center for Studies for the development of the Information Society (Cetic), is one of the main in the country. See other highlights of the survey: In urban areas, the connection is slightly higher than the average: 74% of the population is connected to the Internet; For the first time, half of the Brazilian rural area is connected — 49% of the population said they had access to the network in 2018, above 44% of 2017; Also for the first time, half of Brazil's poorest layer is officially on the Internet: 48% of the population in classes D and E, above 42% in 2017; There are 46.5 million of households with internet access, 67% of the total; Among internet users, 48% acquired or used some kind of online service, such as car applications, streaming movies and music services, or ordering food. The number of Brazilians who use the internet continues to grow: it rose from 67% to 70% of the population, which is equivalent to 126.9 million people. This data is part of the new edition of the ICT Households survey, released on Wednesday (28), which is in the country's homes for Internet connection. The research, made annually by the Regional Center for Studies for the development of the Information Society (Cetic), is one of the main in the country. See other highlights of the survey: In urban areas, the connection is slightly higher than the average: 74% of the population is connected to the Internet; For the first time, half of the Brazilian rural area is connected — 49% of the population said they had access to the network in 2018, above 44% of 2017; Also for the first time, half of Brazil's poorest layer is officially on the Internet: 48% of the population in classes D and E, above 42% in 2017; There are 46.5 million of households with internet access, 67% of the total; Among internet users, 48% acquired or used some kind of online service, such as car applications, streaming movies and music services, or ordering food. According to Winston Oyadomari, research coordinator at Cetic, Brazil has an important growth in these indicators. "Developed countries in North America and Europe have internet use of 80% for more. Developing countries, Eastern Europe and the Arabs, are around 50% to 60%. This puts Brazil in an intermediate position. " The researcher reiterated that Cetic's research follows international standards, but the comparison for 2018 still cannot be done fully because the global data has not yet been disclosed. For him, there is still plenty of room for access to grow in the country — in large centers and also in the rural region. Brazil is still behind, in terms of the connected population, of other countries in South America, such as Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. " Cell dominance For another year, the cell phone was considered the preferred means of access for Brazilians. According to the survey, 97% used the mobile phone as an Internet access device — a very similar level of 2017, which was 96%. This data includes people who have used mobile phones and computers and only mobile phones. The computer, however, has diminished as a device used by Brazilians for the connection. Only 43% reported having used a computer to access the Internet in 2018, falling compared to 2017, when the margin was 51%. The device was taken as a means of access by 80% in 2014 and has undergone gradual decline since then. In the same period happened the triumph of the cell phone, which was used as a means of connection by 76% in 2014. The use of the device is even more pronounced among the poorest population and those residing in rural areas. In the Rural area, 77% of Internet users connect exclusively over the phone and 20% use mobile phone and computer. In these regions of the country, according to Oyadomari, Cetic, mobile Internet connection is predominant, in relation to connections by fiber optic or cable TV. "The lack of possibility of access in the rural area is cited by 44% of people as a reason not to access the Internet. It is a particularly relevant motive for the rural area, "he said. For people with family income between 1 and 2 minimum wages, the presence of the computer increases, with 31% of users using both devices. But it is still below the phone as exclusive use, with 63%. For the richest, who have family income above 10 minimum wages, the exclusive use of mobile phone is made by 17% of users, while 80% use both mobile and computer to connect. According to Oyadamori, the challenge now is to understand if the lower layers of the population make use only marginal of the connection and if they are precarized. "Among the population users of the Internet, 89% use almost every day. This proportion in classes D and E is 78%. They also make less use of all activities, less message in social network, "said the researcher. E-commerce and services The survey also measured data on users ' behavior. In 2018, 43.7 million people bought over the internet in the country, 34% of the total users. In terms of hiring online services, 40.8 million people asked for taxi or a car per app, the equivalent of 32% of users. Video streaming services were contracted by 28% and music by 8%. Sites and applications for ordering food had membership of 12%, while 3% used the Internet to hire some kind of financial service, such as insurance or loans.