Digital Television and Banking Inclusion in Brazil: Alternatives to Access Technologies

One of the main challenges of the Brazilian Government for the next 10 years will be the banking inclusion of the poorest portion of the population, which has a monthly family income of less than $200 Dollars. Only 25% of the economically active population have a bank account and 15% are digitally included. On the other hand more than 90% of Brazilian people have a TV, and only 12% are connected to the internet. These aspects have lead to the use of digital television as an innovative and effective way for banking inclusion, thus significantly improving statistics related to digital and social inclusion, allowing many people to be able to get micro credit programs and enjoy more benefits of been citizens. The Brazilian Digital Television System recently developed and established in some cities, would offer interactivity capabilities, thus promoting a progressive alteration of paradigm in the relationship involved between the user and the television system. For an adequate implantation of interactive applications, the use of several options available as last mile technologies for the return channel needs to be evaluated. Emphasizing the needs and specific characteristics of T-banking for people not connected to the internet, this article aims at discussing several possibilities of access technologies,involving power line communications, cellular networks, xDSL and others, for the sake of adequate communication when using the return channel of digital television system.