Increasing Broadband Internet Penetration
In the OIC Member Countries
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use of computers and broadband typically delivered through a range of public access centers.
This section reviews the major categories of targeted programs.
III.4. Best Practices of non-OIC developing countries for increasing
broadband penetration
The purpose of this section is to provide an example of best practices implemented by non-OIC
developing countries to promote broadband deployment and stimulate adoption. The
examples aim to illustrate approaches followed to address three barriers of adoption: 1) access
in rural and isolated areas, 2) improving broadband affordability both in terms of service and
device acquisition, and 3) development of digital literacy.
Providing broadband access in rural and isolated areas in BrazilAs part of the Brazilian Ministry of Culture’s larger program, Cultura Viva, the Pontos de
Cultura initiative is a socio-digital inclusion program that develops public digital spaces
throughout the country to encourage citizens to create digital culture. By providing citizens
with free, open-source software and broadband access at these telecenters, the initiative
promotes technology as a tool to spur the spread and creation of digital culture, thereby
affirming Brazil’s cultural identity.
Digital community centers represent the most common approach to providing public access to
broadband in rural and isolated areas. The deployment of community centers combines a top-
down and bottom-up governance framework, whereby a public policy initiative triggers the
involvement of communities in the management of each unit. The sum of grass-root
community organizations dedicated to managing each center is coordinated by a steering
committee, who works with each center to develop plans for extending broadband service, and
providing technology awareness and training programs. In some cases, the steering committee
works with a dedicated staff that acts as a resource. In that sense, the central dedicated staff
becomes an enabler of the community-based effort rather than an implementer.
By virtue of their decentralized governance framework, centers become independent from
contributions of the national government, with all funding support being provided by either
local governments or the private sector. This structure appears to be also scalable across
regions of a given country. Digital Community Centers have become highly suited to tackle
technology and economic development programs within rural contexts.
In Brazil, individual communities take charge of their center’s financial matters, managing it
autonomously, although they all have access to a network over which they can work together
to share ideas and problem solve. The centers have the potential to generate income for these
communities, which can customize the services of the centers to fit the needs of their residents.
Once the Ministry of Culture deems it an official “Ponto de Cultura”, the center receives a
digital multimedia kit, which guarantees users broadband access so that they can share their
work. It also includes a multimedia studio complete with professional-grade audio, video,