Internet use grows during the pandemic and the number of users in Brazil reaches 152 million, according to a survey by Cetic.br.
Research from TIC Household 2020 (COVID-19 Edition – Adapted Methodology) reveals Brazil has 152 million Internet users, corresponding to 81% of the country’s population aged 10 years or more.
The study,promoted by the Brazilian Internet Management Committee (CGI.br) and launched by the Regional Center for Studies for the Development of Society of Information (Cetic.br) of the Information and Co-ordination Nucleus of Pon to BR (NIC.br), identified a greater proportion of households with access to the network (83%) than individual users (81%). Compared to 2019, the increase was 12% and 7%, respectively.
The methodology used in editing the research had to be adapted due to the limitations of the pandemic. Interviews were conducted between October 2020 and May 2021, with preference given to telephone interviews.
Alexandre Barbosa, Manager of Cetic.br|NIC.br, said: “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 scenario of health crisis.”
Online activities
The survey reiterated the increase in online activities during the pandemic, which had previously been identified by the ICT Panel COVID-19.
However, research has shown that inequalities in taking advantage of online opportunities still persist. Class C users, for example, took more distance courses and studied more on their own in 2020 compared to 2019, but still in lower proportions than users in Class A.
According to the survey, more users sought (42%) or performed (37%) online public services in 2020 than in 2019. These activities were more concentrated among residents of urban areas, with more education and from Classes A and B.
There was also an increase in the performance of financial transactions in the digital environment (43%, against 33% in 2019), with a more significant increase among those in the C and DE classes.
Households with Internet
The growth in the proportion of households with Internet access occurred in all segments analyzed: urban and rural areas, all regions, all family income groups and social strata. Households in Classes C (91%) and DE (64%) showed the greatest differences compared to 2019 (80% and 50%, respectively) and regional differences declined.
The main type of home connection was fixed broadband (68%), with a special increase in cable or fiber optic connections.
The study also showed that there was an increase in the presence of computers (desktop, laptop or tablet) in households (from 39% in 2019 to 45% in 2020), reversing a downward trend that had been taking place in recent years.
Internet users
The survey detected an increase in the proportion of Internet users compared to 2019, especially among residents of rural areas (from 53% in 2019 to 70% in 2020), among inhabitants aged 60 years and over (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 the use of the network among the most vulnerable parts of the population. Despite the greater reach of the Internet in Brazil, the indicators point to the persistence of inequalities in access, with a prevalence of users from higher classes, educated and young people,” commented Barbosa.
TV surpasses computer
The proportion of Internet access through television above the proportion of access through computers was recorded for the first time since the surveys began. This reached 44% of Brazilian users (7% above that recorded in 2019).
“The advance in TV use of the Internet is associated with the consumption of culture and entertainment, which during the pandemic started to be reported by a larger portion of the population,” added Barbosa.
Methodology
The survey conducted interviews in 5,590 households by telephone and through face-to-face collection. The collection methodology was adapted due to the pandemic to restrict the displacement of interviewers in the face of social distancing measures. Although the indicators are in line with those disclosed in previous editions of the survey, comparisons should be made with caution, given that the margins of error in the current edition are greater and the effects of changes in the methodology are not fully known.
Marcio Migon, Co-ordinator of CGI.br, said: “With the publication of the research, CGI.br reinforces its commitment to the production of statistics to support public policies. Despite the restrictions that characterized the period, the data presented is unique, as it allows us to understand the dynamics of access and use of the network during the period of the pandemic.”
About Cetic.br
The mission of the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br) is to monitor the adoption of information and communication technologies in Brazil. Created in 2005, Cetic.br is a department of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br), linked to the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br).
Click below to share this article