The role of multistakeholder governance of the Internet in expanding connectivity in Brazil

Abstract

Information and communication technologies have been effecting profound transformations in our society. Two of the main agents of these changes include the process of digital transformation that governments, organizations, and individuals have been undergoing, and the consolidation of Internet use and adoption as critical infrastructure for social, economic, political, and cultural processes. In this context, Internet governance gains increasingly more space in the public debate because of its relevance to digital inclusion and development. The present article discusses the role of multistakeholder governance of the Internet in expanding connectivity in Brazil from a historical perspective of the events behind the development of the Internet in the country. The model of governance implemented by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) and its operational branch, the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br), is a model that has effectively contributed to creating public policies for the digital inclusion of people and organizations in the direction of universal and significant connectivity. Thus, the Internet governance mechanisms established in a country can favor decision making, through the consensus of the government, enterprises, civil society organizations, and the academic community, to ensure increased connectivity.