Estélio Gomberg

Piraí Digital: A Pioneering Experience in Digital Inclusion

Free access to the Internet is widespread, and open networks are expanding to address digital inclusion. But few know that Pirai was one of the first cities to offer free Internet access in Brazil. Pirai has about 25,000 inhabitants, located almost 100 km (kilometers) from the state capital of Rio de Janeiro. In 2004, the “Pirai Digital Program” began. It sought to disseminate digital culture, involving initiatives of digital inclusion, media education, and information technology management. Although located in a hilly area, the city achieved expansive wireless Internet coverage in a relatively short time. This chapter provides an analysis of the experience based on published materials in the press, statements, and academic papers about the program. This pioneering project in the field of digital inclusion around the world included an interdisciplinary character based on the emancipatory vision of technology.