Free broadband arrived at the Copacabana beachfront at the end of 2008, and this program is now being rolled out to other parts of the city. Copacabana, one of Rio de Janeiro’s most famous districts, will host beach volleyball, aquatic marathon and triathlon events if the city is awarded the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. On 9 March, the 10,000 residents of the Santa Marta favela in Botafogo were provided with a free public Wi-Fi system.

Along the beach, the “Orla Digital”, or Digital Beachfront project put up tents in late 2008, in which IT workshops were offered for people of all ages. In Santa Marta, a similar scheme is now being implemented, with a kiosk containing network-connected computers available for three months, so that the community can learn about the service and attend IT courses. “The digital inclusion that we are promoting, today, will enable more than 4,000 families to truly enter the 21st century,” said Sérgio Cabral, governor of Rio de Janeiro State.

The Digital Santa Marta project has three main purposes: to promote digital inclusion via free internet; to encourage the use of services by residents; and to help micro-enterprises use the internet to gain competitiveness in developing and supplying their products.

Fabiana Belingrodt, coordinator of an educational project in various favelas of Rio de Janeiro, believes that access to the internet can benefit the education of children living in poor communities. “I think this type of project is very useful, because familiarity with the internet stimulates reading and logical/mathematical reasoning. The internet can serve as a knowledge tool,” she said.

Governor Cabral intends to extend the Orla Digital project to the districts of Ipanema and Leblon, and in future the whole state. He explained that digital inclusion, as promoted in Santa Marta, will be rolled out to other areas and regions of Rio de Janeiro, in which the government is already working on security and urban services projects.

“Rio de Janeiro is the most advanced of all Brazilian states from a technological point of view, and before long it will become the first state with 100% free digital coverage, for the whole population. This is absolutely unique, and it inspires us to continue, in partnership with Rio’s technology sector, which is working in the service of society,” said Cabral.