New vitality and opportunities grasped during four years of development made possible by broadband connectivity
Telefonica Vivo Foundation and Ericsson installed the first radio base station in 2009 in the remote town of Belterra, Par, Brazil, providing 30,000 people in 175 communities with 3G voice and data services
In 2010, 3G coverage was extended to a connected riverboat that provides health and education services to people living along the Tapajs River
Expansion reached remote village of Surac in 2011 and Connect To Learn was launched there in 2012
Amazon Connection - a digital inclusion program initiated by Telefonica Vivo Foundation and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) - has won the 2013 Global Mobile Award for Best Mobile Product, Initiative or Service for Emerging Markets.
In 2009, Vivo and Ericsson - in collaboration with Brazilian non-governmental agency Sade & Alegria - initiated a project to enable communications and improved access to health, education and economic growth in a remote part of the world. The technology and expertise in the community eventually led to expanding applications, raising the spirit of entrepreneurship and possibility for employment.
A survey conducted by an independent party, the Agency for Support of Entrepreneurs and Small Businessmen, finds that 92% of respondents believe that mobile telephony and internet services have played a major role in the development of the region. 53% of respondents believe that telephony services contributed to the creation of companies and jobs.
The first radio base station was installed in 2009 in the town of Belterra, Par, Brazil. As planned, the base station provided an initial 20,000 people with 3G voice and data services in an area that previously had no mobile connectivity. This in itself was a remarkable feat, but technicians noticed that something unexpected was happening: the nearby Tapajs River was acting like a mirror, magnifying the range of the 3G signal. This allowed the Abar Hospital boat, which navigates along the river, to be connected via broadband in 2010.
The expansion to Suruac, on the other bank of the Tapajs River was unique in the deployment itself, which was difficult due to dense vegetation, lack of infrastructure and unpredictable weather. There was no source of energy in the village so Ericsson built an innovative hybrid system (solar and wind), which enabled a fully functional mobile network in the Amazon.
During the four years of the project, the public-private partnership supported the creation of a number of initiatives improving conditions for people in the local communities.
For example, Sade & Alegria uses the Abar, a large boat, to provide health-care services to the inhabitants of the more than 70 communities along the Tapajs River. Telefonica Vivo installed an antenna on the boat, ensuring that the 3G signal that was being magnified naturally by the river would be boosted even further. As a result, anyone aboard the Abar now has access to a reliable mobile broadband connection. Doctors aboard the Abar can consult with their peers around the world and send X-rays and other images for expert diagnoses. As a result, thousands of people who live in the Amazon now benefit from high-quality medical care.
In addition, the Abar is using its mobile broadband connection to offer the Tapajs River communities educational training programs with the support of local universities.
In 2011, connectivity was extended to the community of Suruac, and Connect To Learn, Ericssons program that brings cloud-based education to secondary schools, was launched.
Franoise Trapenard, president of Telefonica Vivo Foundation, said: The region, until signal arrival of Vivo, lived the challenges of isolation imposed by the geography of the Amazon region, is now a place for people connected. The original motivation of this project had a focus on education and health in order to provide, through new connectivity technologies, learning opportunities for young riparian and streamline the activities of medical care to the population carried aboard the hospital ship Abar.
Caetano Scannavino, Coordinator and Founder of Sade Alegria, said: Most of the world thinks that the Amazon is just the jungle, with trees and rivers - that its like a vacuum. But the Brazilian Amazon is 25 million people. My dream is that all communities in the whole of the Amazon can be connected because the world should know the ability, the beauty, and the intelligence of these people.
Elaine Weidman-Grunewald, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, Ericsson, says: Were honored that the GSMA has recognized our efforts but even more honored to have been part of something as powerful as Amazon Connection. This is what technology for good is all about.
Recognizing the important social benefits of the hospital boat initiative, the Brazilian government has initiated a program to launch 100 additional hospital boats. Funding for 32 of them has already been approved, ensuring they will be operational in the near future.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Technology for Good
www.ericsson.com/networkedsociety/technology-for-good/
Global Mobile Awards
http://www.globalmobileawards.com/
Flickr collection about Amazon Connection
www.flickr.com/ericsson_images
Download high-resolution photos and broadcast-quality video at www.ericsson.com/press
Ericsson is the worlds leading provider of communications technology and services. We are enabling the Networked Society with efficient real-time solutions that allow us all to study, work and live our lives more freely, in sustainable societies around the world.
Our offering comprises services, software and infrastructure within Information and Communications Technology for telecom operators and other industries.Today more than 40 percent of the worlds mobile traffi
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
06/05/2024
It's almost go-time for the Holly Springs Salamanders! The season opener is ...
05/05/2024
A special evening performance by multiplatinum singer Becky G will provide a memorable conclusion to TeievisaUnivision's Casa Cultura upfront event on May 1...
05/05/2024
Giant media buyer Publicis is telling network sales executives that it does not think Nielsen's new panel-plus-big-data currency is ready for this upfront....
05/05/2024
WASHINGTON Glenn Kirschner, legal analyst at NBC News, blasted the media for referring to the New York trial of former President Donald Trump as a hush-money ...
05/05/2024
Catchy Comedy's weekend marathon sees The Beverly Hillbillies on the weekend of May 4-5. The event kicks off Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. ET, and runs through...
05/05/2024
NBC Sports has the 150th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 4. The coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and the feature race at Churchill Downs in Louis...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
New vitality and opportunities grasped during four years of development made possible by broadband connectivity
