Page 27 - Telebrasil - Setembro/Outubro 1981

bureaucratic excesses took out the structural unity and
HISTORY/untii 1962, when the Brazilian

balance of the System.
Telecommunications Code came into force, the conces­

sionary companies could not meet the demand require­

ments because their services were dismembered, their A new decisive impulse was given in 1967 when the

administrative and economical structure was inadequ­ New Constitution granted power to the Union to legis­

late about all the telecommunications services. The
ate and there was no central administration responsible

for their economical and structural viability. Ministry of Telecommunications was also created in

1967.

There were more than 800 telephone companies, most

of them badly equipped; long distance services were In 1972, was created a "holding" company — Tele-

either inexistent or underdeveloped; the telephone densi­ bras — which took command of the "pole companies"

and consolidated the operating concessionaries in ev­
ty index was about two sets per 100 inhabitants and the

country in the telecommunications field could be consi­ ery state of the country. The number of concessionary

dered an archipelago. companies, about 800, was reduced to approximately

30.

International telephone services were made by high fre­ Map 1

quency short waves whereas the telegraph services used

low capacity submarine cables (see attached map).

Communications System

The transfer of the Federal Capital to Brasilia in 1980, re­ up to 1965

sulted in a survey of the telecommunications situation. Historical (Before Embratel)

__ •
Consequently, the Brazilian Telecommunications Code

was worked out and approved. The Code created the

National Council for Telecommunications — Con tel

— empowered the Union with legal powers as to define

the general norms to establish the National Telecom­

munications System — SNT; authorized the collection

of the National Telecommunications Fund — FNT dedi­

cated to implement and develop the NTS, and, foresaw

the creation of Embratel. It was a first forceful impulse.

Long distance and interstate services were immediately

improved by the creation of Embratel in 1965 and by the

provision of necessary resources. However, the local

and intermunicipal services (secondary) were still not HF radio links

acceptable: the demagogical rates, the lack of adequate

financing, the inexistence of a nation-wide plan and microwave links

Chart 1

M I N I C O M / T h e crea­

tion, in 1967, of the Ministry

of Communications gave to

this area the necessary status,

being attributed to the Minis­

try the functions of regula­

ting, co-ordinating, stimula­

ting and control the Industry

and Services of Telecommu­

nications, the Post Office,

and Radio Broadcasting. The

structure of the Ministry area

is shown in the attached fi­

gure..