Brasília, November 19, 2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - José Leite Pereira Filho, councillor of the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), presented Canadian senator Michel Biron a report on the Brazilian telecommunications market and regulation of the sector. In addition to characteristics of Anatel, such as administrative independence, financial autonomy, and the fixed, stable terms of office of the councillors, Leite highlighted privatization and investments in the sector, with data referring to fixed and mobile telephone service and pay TV in Brazil.

Figures referring to 2001 were presented, such as the 47.8 million fixed points of telephone access installed in the country and the more than 30 million mobile devices in operation. The Canadian legislator also received information about the 97.2% digital network in Brazil and the availability of pay TV to 89.9% of the population.

All of the data were compared with the period prior to privatization, which occurred in 1998 and reinforced progress in the sector. (DAS)