The privatization of Brazil's telecommunications sector in 1998 brought rapid growth in digital networks, new services, and foreign ownership. Researchers at the Instituto Brasileiro de Defesa do Consumidor (IDEC) partnered with Pedro Paranaguá of the Getulio Vargas Foundation to test whether Brazil’s biggest Internet access providers treat all users and data equally -- the core condition of 'network neutrality' -- and to explore the applicability of different models of ‘neutrality’ to Brazilian telecommunications services.  IDEC’s research gives consumers a much stronger voice in the new policymaking environment.

Estela Waksberg Guerrini, IDEC lawyer on advocacy for consumers’ rights, shares their story.

How are Consumers Affected by Changes in Telecom Regulation?

“A lot has changed in the media landscape in Brazil since the 1990’s, as elsewhere, in terms of technological convergence and regulatory norms. These changes are now fueling public and government conversations about telecom and internet policy. The government recently held a public comment period on possible changes, and the Ministry of Communications has started to analyze the contributions in order to propose new legislation. We wanted to research the sector and gain a deeper knowledge of the impact of these changes on a regular customer. And we wanted to inform and influence the discussion about regulatory change."

"What we did was to test broadband Internet access of the three main service providers in São Paulo. We looked at a range of issues, like pricing, the quality of service, customer service, connection stability, and net neutrality. Prior to our project, there had been some studies on the Brazilian telecom sector, but never from this angle -- a comprehensive account of service provision."  

"We have also started to research the main legislation governing the telecom sector to see how the new legislative framework could be built, and how the public interest can be represented in that discussion.”

Putting Citizens' Rights on the Table

“Although our project is ongoing, we’ve already presented our work at many academic and advocacy events, and also in two public hearings. In one instance, we had to accelerate our studies when we learned that a public hearing was to be held earlier than expected."

"We have already made some important contributions to the policy-making process. We held a work shop in August 2008 and invited a number of members of public institutions, such as the Telecom Regulatory Agency. I’ve been told that the results were well received and understood. Now, there is a much stronger commitment at that level of policy-making for guaranteeing citizens’ and consumers’ rights as the new legislation is drafted.”

                                                                                      August 2008 Telecom Workshop (photo: IDEC)

Importance of Translation

“We also want to convey our findings to consumers themselves. Words are important, but numbers are often an easier way for everyone to understand the issues."

"When we talk about technological convergence or unbundling, these terms are not widely understood. At present, the discussion reaches only a limited audience. Our mission is to translate legal and technical language into forms that make our findings accessible to everyone. We have already made our results available online, as well as published them in IDEC’s monthly magazine.”

Collaboration is Key

“We at IDEC believe that advocacy can only be done effectively when there’s research behind it.  Collaboration between academics and advocates is necessary."

"The biggest challenge for our academy-advocacy partnership was the timing. Political situations change quickly –  the unanticipated public inquiry is a case in point. Rapid response may be needed, and academic work often happens at a different pace. The lesson for us is that careful planning and anticipation of future events is crucial to maximize the impact of collaborative research.”