PhD defense Francisco Magalhaes Barros: The Role of Public Policies in the Development of Broadband Infrastructure: the Case of Brazil

Jury

• Maya Bacache, Senior advisor, Court of Auditors, France (Examiner)
• Grazia Cecere, Professor, IMT Business School, France (Referee)
• Christine Zulehner, Professor, University of Vienna, Austria (Referee)
• Marc Bourreau, Professor, Télécom Paris, France (Supervisor)
• Ulrich Laitenberger, Professor, Télécom Paris and Tilburg University, Netherlands (Co-supervisor)

Abstract

The liberalization of state monopolies in the electronic communications sector aims to foster a competitive environment that attracts new players and investments through sector-specific regulation. In Brazil, this approach was adopted to expand communications infrastructure and ensure universal local access, with partial success, especially in large cities. However, growth in fiber-optic networks stalled between 2010 and 2012, prompting regulatory interventions and government incentives. The Brazilian case highlights the expanding role of regulators and the government in network expansion, challenged by slow regulatory evolution, high costs, and low investment appeal in small and medium municipalities. Recently, a new competitive model, supported by deregulation and incentives, enabled small local operators to partially address infrastructure gaps, though these efforts have not fully met public policy goals to reduce regional inequalities.
This thesis investigates the relationship between the expansion of communications infrastructure, particularly broadband, and key economic variables, with a focus on social inequality and digital exclusion.