Telephones & Internet in Brazil

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Telephones & Internet in Brazil

Telephone

There are two fixed-line telephone service providers in São Paulo state which are Telefônica and Embratel. They are both in the process of expanding their services and include broadband Internet links and cable TV, either as individual services or as part of packages.

• Embratel
  Customer Services Tel: 103 21 
  Website
• Telefônica 
  Customer Services Tel: 103 15
  Website

How to get connected: Embratel

Embratel offers a number of services and packages for local, long distance domestic and international calls.

• For information on the services available: Click here (in Portuguese)

To subscribe to Embratel, call the company’s customer services line and provide the operator with the following:

• Postal code and the house or apartment number
• Individual Taxpayer’s Number (Cadastro de Pessoa Física - CPF)
• Proof of identity
• Proof of residence

The company will then conduct a credit check and within ten days the telephone line will be up and running.

It is also possible to subscribe to certain telephone packages online or at one of the many Embratel sales outlets on the high street or in shopping centres.

How to get connected: Telefônica

To order a land line or broadband service with Telefônica contact the sales department Tel: 0800 101 515 and provide the following:

• Individual Taxpayer’s Number (Cadastro de Pessoa Física - CPF)
• Proof of identity

The operator will also ask a series of personal questions such as date of birth and mother’s name.

Once Telefônica has checked that they have land lines available in the neighbourhood, a technician will pay a visit within three to five working days to install the line.

Mobile Phones

Competition between the mobile phone operators in Brazil is fierce with each company constantly offering promotions to attract new clients.

Clients can choose between "pay-as-you-go" (pre-pago) and "pay monthly" (pos-pago) packages. Check the individual operators for current promotions and to find the package best suited to specific requirements.

The documents required to obtain a mobile phone line (irrespective of which company a person chooses), as stipulated by the telephony regulatory body, ANATEL (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações), are as follows:

• Proof of identity: RG (Brazilian national ID); Brazilian Driving Licence; Professional license (bar association or medical board for example) or RNE (foreigner’s ID registration number)
• Individual taxpayer's number (CPF) 
• Proof of residence: Utility bill relating to the area in which the mobile phone line will be operative

For subscribers wishing to obtain a monthly plan subscription the required documents also include proof of payment of their current property tax (IPTU); a copy of their lease contract demonstrating proof of residence for at least another 12 months (for those renting property); vehicle ownership and licensing documents; pay slip or pension plan for the current month; current cable TV bill; and letter of confirmation of current residence from a hotel or flat service (for applicants without a fixed permanent abode).

The list of documents for a monthly plan is obviously quite extensive and potentially challenging to a non-Brazilian native, meaning that most foreigners in Brazil tend to opt for the "pay-as-you-go" (pre-pago) plans.

Each of the operators have high street stores in most major cities (addresses can be confirmed on their respective websites) and these are the easiest and most widely used means of following through the process of document presentation and form-filling required to obtain a mobile phone line.

Mobile telephone companies

• TIM
  Tel: *144 from a TIM-account mobile phone, 0800 741 4141 from a land-line or (11) 2847 6144
  Website
• Claro
  Tel: 1052, International Customer Service number: 0800 036 0707
  Website
• Vivo
  Tel: 1058, International Customer Service number: (11) 3056 8628
  Website
• Oi
  Tel: 1057
  Website

Lost/Stolen mobile phones

All mobile phones have a unique code, the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) code. This belongs to the handset and is associated with the SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) card, which holds the telephone number assigned to a customer.

• A SIM card - holds the telephone number and memory. Access can be protected by personalising the card with a four-digit PIN number
• An IMEI number - this is a mobile telephone's unique identification number

The IMEI number provides protection if a phone is lost or stolen. The IMEI code is clearly shown on the paperwork at time of purchase. Note it down and keep it separate from the telephone.

Alternatively, enter *#06# into the telephone to display the IMEI number.

In the event of the loss or theft of a mobile phone, the procedure with each of the operators is the same and is really very straightforward. Call the customer services number of the service provider, follow the instructions in order to speak to an operator and provide them with the mobile phone number relating to the device which has been lost. The company will open a report and will give the client a protocol number for future reference. However, from the moment the request to block the line is registered, the number may not be used and the person will not be charged for any calls made following this moment.

A police report is not necessary either for the blocking of the line or its future reactivation if the mobile phone is stolen. However, for insurance purposes, such a procedure will be necessary.

The blocked mobile phone number can be easily reactivated when purchasing a replacement mobile, without any need of the protocol number or proof of previous deactivation.

Internet Access

There are two options for connecting to the Internet; one is through a telecommunications service provider which connects the user to the Internet service providers – this can be either by using the telephone line or by cable or satellite; the other method is directly through the Internet service provider – in this case, a full package is often offered including e-mail addresses.

The most common means of access in Brazil is dial-up access which involves dialing into a fixed phone line. Depending upon a person's method of Internet usage, ‘dial-up’ is still the cheapest form available, with payment options provided involving by the minute or at a flat monthly rate or a combination of the two.

Despite the continued popularity of dial-up, the broadband and ADSL forms of access are however making huge advances and all major cities and state capitals are now fully served.

Recent law has established that telephony operators are prohibited from offering Internet services, but they may offer the technology. Once access to such has been established, the user must then contact the service provider directly. The Speedy broadband service is, to all intents and purposes, offered and provided by the Telefônica telecommunications company, although on contracting the service you have the option of accepting their recommended service provider (Terra), or choosing another.

Broadband services are also increasingly offered by both mobile phone operators and cable TV operators. In the case of the latter, their services can function using the same installed technology and are free of the limitations that have now been placed on telephony operators. The joint cable TV and broadband packages are becoming the most commonly contracted options as they are more economically attractive.

Internet service providers in Brazil 

Subscriptions to Internet can be done online on the specific company’s website or by calling their customer services number. The individual's taxpayers number (CPF) and RG or RNE are required for registration.

The main service providers in Brazil are:

• Brasil Telecom (serving the Midwest and Southern States) 
• Terra (nationwide)
  Tel: (11) 3677 1010 (in São Paulo state capital)
• POP (a free, nationwide – excluding the states in the far north - dial-up service) 
  Tel: (11) 3525 2004 (in São Paulo state capital)
• UOL (nationwide, ADSL service)
  Tel: 0800 703 3000
• NET (cable TV service forming part of the Globo group of companies)  
  Tel: (11) 4004 8844 (in São Paulo state capital)

As well as the main operators, there are also more than a thousand small-scale broadband service providers distributed around the country. These operators almost all offer wireless connections which do not need installed technology.

Away-from-home Internet access

Perhaps due to the relatively low number of visits from tourists in São Paulo state, there are not many Internet Cafes. Despite this, hourly rates are reasonable. Lan Cafés offer the same services as well as computer games and general computer facilities.

Due to the limited access the majority of the Brazilian population may have to computer and Internet facilities, the state governments and municipal councils have set up programmes offering free usage at centres located in urban regions. In São Paulo, the state government’s programme is called Acessa São Paulo and has centres in 353 municipalities. Although specifically located in and aimed at the more needy communities, they are an option for free Internet access. 

• Acessa São Paulo Website

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