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Information Society benefited by RNP2 project
The Information Society Program, officially launched on December 15, 1999, aims at placing Brazil among the most developed nations in terms of information technology. With a budget of R$3.4 billion assigned in the 2000-2004 Multi-annual Plan, the government hopes to increase the participation of the information economy in the Gross National Product (GNP) - which is currently 10%. Among other things, the integration of an ample Brazilian academic network is being devised similar to its American counterpart, Internet2.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Ronaldo Mota Sardenberg launched the initial stage of this new network in May. RNP2, the name given to the new high performance backbone, has already been deployed on a partial basis, linking a few Brazilian cities. It should link up to Internet2 by the end of the year. The agreement signed in March between the National Research Network (RNP) and the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID), the consortia that coordinates the American project, guarantees Brazilian participation in the Internet2 project.
According to estimates, there are today approximately 3.8 million computers linked to the Internet in Brazil. The forecast made by experts from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT) is that this number should double in less than four years' time, thus possibly compromising the speed and quality of connections. So as to avoid letting the Internet get packed with backlog, the program is designed to invest in transmission speed of data and in new services and applications. Another goal of the government is to reduce regional inequalities in network access.
Mission - The Information Society Program is designed to link, coordinate and promote the development and safe use of advanced services in computer science, communication and information and its applications in society. This is to be achieved through research, development and education and by offering new services and applications on the Internet, thereby guaranteeing Brazilian corporations a competitive advantage and inclusion in international markets. The program plans to establish a strategy with which to insert the Brazilian society in the Information Society, i.e., in the global information era.
The MCT Project is taking into account the impact that high quality digital networks will be having on society and the central role Information Technology will be playing in economic competitiveness. That is to say, it recognizes the need for advancement in network infrastructure and computer sciences so as to provide back up for all activities throughout the nation, from research to trade in goods and services, encompassing government services as well as education and culture.
The Green Book - As in other countries, the Information Society Program (Socinfo) has its "Green Book." This is a detailed, preliminary proposal developed by a committee of experts. The final draft of the book should be ready by the end of August, according to information released by the Social Communication Advisory Council of Socinfo. It will then undergo public debate and its final version, better known as the "White Book," will be compiled.
Range of Activities - Up to the present moment, there are nine areas that fall under the range of Information Society Program activities.
| Science and Technology |
collaborating and consolidating cooperative experiments; disseminating scientific and technological information |
| Education |
development of distance education with quality and digital theme libraries |
| Culture |
cultural development with emphasis on local identity, promotion and preservation |
| Health |
development of reference service prototypes in medical services, tele-medicine and health information |
| Social Applications: |
a Virtual World developing competence and social participation |
| Electronic Commerce |
electronic commerce sites with secure online transactions over the Internet |
| Information and Media |
the means, processes and standards for publication and interaction, intellectual property and academic business |
| Government Activities |
integrate and expand public activities for the citizenry, transparency of actions and improvement in quality of service |
| Education for the Information Society |
training and technological education, popularization of digital culture |
Source: pamphlet on the Information Society Program, Ministry of Science and Technology, 1999.
[RNP, 08.04.2000] | News index:
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