Portability
Since last Monday, 03/02, all users from landline and mobile telephones got the benefit of number portability. The last phase of the gradual implementation process was concluded with the inclusion of 37.827.320 users (19,60%) from the state of São Paulo.
According with the ABR, the governmental agency that supervises the portability implementation process, from September 1, 2008 until last Monday, March 2, 623.940 users requested the service. From this total, approximately 35% are users of landlines and 65% of mobile phones.
The last numbers disclosed by ANATEL, the Brazilian Telecommunications Agency, indicate that Brazil has 150.641.403 mobile and 41.051.372 landline telephone users. The expectations are that portability will increase considerably the competition among mobile carriers in a market already highly competitive.
ICT Training
Luis “Lula” da Silva, Brazil’s president, signed last Wednesday a law that allows ICT companies to deduct a percentage of their expenses with employees’ training from the total of taxes due. It is expected to be a great incentive for companies to invest in programs attempted to promote practical training and complimentary technical education in the field of Information and Communication Technologies, what can be considered an important movement towars the raise of ICT standards in the country.
