Brazil launches consultation to shape policies under the National Digital Inclusion Plan

Brazil’s Ministry of Communications has launched a call for contributions to develop its National Digital Inclusion Plan (PNID, in Portuguese). The consultation includes questions on infrastructure, access democratization, digital skills, and monitoring, allowing stakeholders to comment on the Universal Telecommunications Services Fund, the regulatory commitments of Brazil’s Telecommunications Agency, and on connectivity financing models.

The PNID is the federal government’s main policy to expand access to information and communication technologies and to reduce social and regional inequalities. The consultation was based on conclusions and recommendations reported by the PNID Interministerial Working Group, which serves as the base for the plan’s formulation.

The consultation is structured around three thematic pillars

Pillar 1 – Infrastructure (Questions 3 and 4)

• More effective service solutions for locations outside main hubs, rural areas, and underserved traditional territories.
• Financing models, funding sources, and governance arrangements to ensure the sustainability of the initiatives, including alternative funding mechanisms and coordination among the federal government, states, municipalities, the private sector, and civil society.

Pillar 2 – Access Democratization (Questions 5 to 12)

• Socioeconomic criteria to identify and prioritize beneficiaries of connectivity initiatives.
• Mechanisms to facilitate the purchase of hardware and internet services (fixed and mobile) by low-income families, with minimum broadband requirements and device specifications suitable for this audience.
• Safeguards and guarantees on subsidized credit programs to reduce defaults, without excluding those who need the benefit the most.
• Incentives for partnerships between subnational governments, private-sector entities, and non-profit organizations.
• Whether access to devices and connectivity services should be linked to participation in digital skills initiatives.

• Financing and governance models to ensure the sustainability of this pillar.

Pillar 3 – Digital Skills (Questions 13 to 19)

• The elements that a national framework should establish to ensure quality standards for courses offered by different institutions, in line with Europe’s DigComp.
• The most effective methodologies and content formats for adults in vulnerable situations.
• Training pathways that can be adapted to different proficiency levels.
• Best practices that can be mapped and incorporated into the PNID.
• Assessment of the initiatives proposed in the working group’s report and of the recommendations for the educational environment.
• Successful initiatives to engage youth, seniors, and other specific audiences.
• Financing and governance models to ensure the sustainability of this pillar.

The consultation also addresses monitoring, evaluation, and transparency tools to oversee the PNID and ensure public participation. There is also a field for comments on relevant topics not covered in the questions.

Contributions can be submitted at the Brasil Participativo platform by September 25, 2026.

Demarest’s Telecommunications, Media & Technology team remains available to provide any further assistance or clarification.