Brazil 4D will be tested in the Federal District in February.
Starting February 15th, 300 families enrolled in the Bolsa Família program in the Federal District will use television to access government benefits and services, such as checking job openings, accessing vaccination schedules, and accessing banking and retirement services; all through their TV remote control.
Mariana Tokarnia
Reporter from Agência Brasil
Brasilia - Starting February 15th, 300 families enrolled in the Bolsa Família program in the Federal District will use television to access benefits and services from the federal and district governments. They will be able to check job openings, professional training opportunities, access the vaccination schedule, and access banking and retirement services. All through their TV remote control.
Families will participate in a trial of the Brazil 4D Project, coordinated by Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC). The expectation is that in ten years the project will reach more than 13 million families benefiting from the program. The trial will be monitored by the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea), which will conduct field research and release a documentary about the project.
Testing began last year in João Pessoa, where 100 families gained access to the Ginga platform, created and developed in Brazil. Through a converter on their TV screen, residents had access to job offers, training courses, and guidance on obtaining documents, as well as information on federal government services and benefits, such as retirement, health campaigns, and programs like Bolsa Família and Brasil Carinhoso, among others.
According to the coordinator and creator of the Brazil 4D Project, EBC's Superintendent of Support, André Barbosa, savings of R$ 12 per month per family were observed in the city. "Families saved money by not having to take the bus and go to places to look for jobs or training, or to get information. They did everything through TV," he explains. He estimates that, when the project is in effect, the savings could reach a total of R$ 7 billion in ten years.
The intention is to bring the benefits of the internet to low-income families who still do not have access to broadband, explains Barbosa. The project works in partnership with telephone companies, using 3G technology, which is used in mobile phones. Everything should be funded by the government.
The Brazil 4D Project is scheduled to be tested in the city of São Paulo between April and May. The topics covered will be health and education. Users will be able to schedule appointments through the Unified Health System (SUS). 2,5 families will participate in the test in the first semester and another 2,5 in the second semester.
Partners in the project include Banco do Brasil, the National Institute of Social Security (INSS), Caixa Econômica Federal, DataSUS, the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra), Totvs, HMATV, Oi, Telebras, and the government of the Federal District.