Cristovam promotes debate on media regulation.

From the Senate Agency

The Minister of Communications, Ricardo Berzoini, will present to senators, on Tuesday (12), the priority agenda of the ministry for the 2015/2016 biennium. The public hearing will be at the Senate Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation, Communication and Informatics (CCT).

The debate was required by the president of the CCT, Senator Cristovam Buarque (PDT-DF), who hopes to hear the minister's positions on topics such as economic regulation of the media, the process of migrating TV to digital format and the exploitation of the 700 megahertz band by mobile telephony, in addition to the digitization of radio.

"These are important actions for the Brazilian economy and society, which have already generated several debates, but that does not eliminate the need for a timely review, as is now proposed. Even as a way to guide the actions of the CCT, it is opportune to receive, as usual, the Minister of Communications for this debate," Cristovam explains.

The senator also wants to know what measures the Ministry of Communications has taken to universalize broadband internet. Brazil ended 2014 without meeting the goal of 35 million households with broadband for R$35, as foreseen in the National Broadband Plan (PNBLPublic policy was evaluated by the CCT last year.

“It is important to know what the objectives of the portfolio are so that we can truly see the achievement of the established goals, because, as can be inferred from the report, several points and results fell short of the program's initial proposals,” Cristovam points out.

The CCT meeting will begin at 9:00 AM in room 7 of the Alexandre Costa Wing.