Gradually, the Internet Brasil Program  is on track to deliver chips with broadband to about 10,000 students in the public school system. Close to starting the Proof of Concept phase, the project is receiving requests made by schools in a portal developed by RNP especially for the management of the initiative. So far, nearly 4,000 chips have already been ordered, and teaching units have until September 23 to finalize orders.

In addition to registering students who meet the necessary requirements to receive the benefit, schools will be able to monitor and update each user's data. To be a beneficiary of Internet Brasil, young people need to be studying at least the 3rd year of the public school system, be enrolled in CadÚnico, have access to a cell phone and not have a chip from other government programs.

“Through the portal, it will also be possible to communicate to RNP possible needs detected by the students”, says Hélder Vitorino de Souza, project manager. Access, however, is only possible for schools. Thus, users must directly contact their teaching units so that the managers, in turn, report the demands to RNP.

“A student's doubt may be the same as that of many others. So, the school is the dialogue channel, it is who will be responsible for activating the RNP. Despite not being able to log in to the website, the student can, on the platform's website, ask questions through Contact Us. With the use of artificial intelligence, a robot produces answers to the questions asked”, explains Hélder.

Program guarantees data security and compliance with the LGPD

The Internet Brasil platform also guarantees the security of data entered by managers. Juliana Hilário de Souza, business analyst at RNP's Specialized Digital Services Unit, explains that, thanks to the portal's access control, only authenticated and previously authorized users can access information. Thus, only directors of schools that joined the program with the MEC can manage their students' data.

Juliana also draws attention to compliance with the General Law for the Protection of Personal Data. “The Platform is also in line with the LGPD and collects only the minimum necessary information from its application users, the students to be benefited and their respective guardians”, she explains.

Promoted by the Ministry of Communications (MCom), with support from the Ministry of Education (MEC), and carried out by the National Education and Research Network (RNP), the initiative aims to expand digital inclusion, bringing free mobile broadband connection not only to students, but also their families, as use goes beyond the boundaries of schools. The program uses the innovative e-SIM Card technology, known as “neutral chip”, allowing RNP to change the operator of a given user without the need to change the physical chip.

In the current stage, 15 schools in the cities of Caicó (RN), Campina Grande (PB), Caruaru (PE), Juazeiro (BA), Mossoró (RN) and Petrolina (PE) will be covered by the program.