Internet Speed: 3.6 Mbps downlink; 2 Mbps uplink

Population: 207.7 million

Internet Availability: 60% of residents

Main Types of Access to the Internet: ADSL, FTTH, Wireless Internet

Internet Censorship: Lenient

Colocation Datacenters: 40

Colocation Industry: Emerging (1^st in Latin America)

Web Hosting Industry: Emerging

According to Akamai’s Q3 2015 rankings, the average downlink Internet speed in Brazil is 3.6 Mbps and the average uplink speed is 2 Mbps.

Population & Internet Availability

The current population of Brazil is approximately 207.7 million. Over 60% of residents have access to the Internet, especially broadband connections.

Main Types of Access to the Internet

Brazilian residents can access the following types of Internet services:

– ADSL Internet (notably VDSL and VDSL2)
– FTTH Internet
– Wireless Internet (notably Satellite Internet)

Internet Access – ADSL

ADSL Internet is widely popular among subscribers relative to other services. This service was introduced in 2000 and shortly became one of the most popular ways of accessing the Internet in the country, alongside now-decommissioned dial-up access. Generally, speeds are between 15 and 1 Mbps downlink and uplink; however, in larger cities, speeds of up to as much as 100 and 20 Mbps downlink and uplink are more common as of late.

Internet Access – FTTH Internet

FTTH was introduced to Brazilian subscribers by Telefonica in early 2007. By June of the same year, the internet provider reported fiber coverage of approximately 400,000 households, with 20,000 signed up for the service. Other ISPs that provide FTTH internet are Brasil Telecom and Global Village Telecom. Owing to the readily apparent success of the service among customers, smaller regional ISPs are now rolling out their own FTTH services to small and medium-sized cities.

Wireless Internet

Wireless Internet services remain popular among customers due to large areas uncovered by traditional wired connections. Although Brazil ranks 4^th in the world in terms of Internet users, with roughly 124 million connected as of 2015, this number amounts to only 60% of the total residents. Furthermore, fixed broadband connections, such as DSL and cable internet, account for only 68% of household internet connections. The remainder of customers are split between dial-up and wireless internet. Wireless services, of which satellite internet is arguably the most popular, are used by customers located either in remote areas (e.g. in smaller cities or in the countryside), or by customers who are not satisfied with narrowband connections (i.e. dial-up).

Internet Censorship in Brazil

Internet users can access the Internet freely in Brazil. There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitors user activity without solid legal basis. In recent years, there has been an upward trend in the increase of private individuals and official bodies taking legal action against diverse users of social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, holding them responsible for the content posted. However, other websites seem to be exempt from this practice (e.g. blogs). Owing to the lenient internet regulations, Brazil is also quite popular an offshore hosting destination.

According to datacentermap.com, there are currently 40 colocation datacenters established in Brazil. Most datacenters are concentrated in Sao Paulo (13), distantly followed by Rio De Janeiro (7), then other smaller cities, such as Campinas (2), Curitiba (2), etc.

Prominent colocation providers established in Sao Paulo is:

– Maxihost
– Locaweb SA
– Connect Web
– UOLDIVEO
– Cdznet datacenter

A popular datacenter located in Sao Paulo is the datacenter operated by Maxihost. This Tier III datacenter facility is located in central Sao Paulo, and specialises in providing colocation space for rack cabinets, suites, cages, and diverse enclosures.

Amenities featured at this location include:

– redundant UPS power equipment
– state-of-the-art cooling system
– solid facility
– carrier neutrality, with on-site access to diverse telecoms and carrier hotels, including but not limited to Telefonica and Equinix.

Another prominent colocation provider established in Sao Paulo is Locaweb SA. The facility owned and operated by this company is one of the most sought after in the region owing to the great colocation services provided, which include rental of suites, cages, rack cabinets, in addition to enclosures.

The datacenter facility comprises a wide array of amenities, of which we can mention the following:

– High level of energy efficiency
– Independent power sources
– Primary and backup diesel-based generators
– Redundant UPS power equipment

Colocation Industry in Brazil

Brazil is currently regarded as Latin America’s largest colocation market, accounting for 40% of the region’s datacenter white space, according to various sources. Even though the country can claim this moniker, the market has been somewhat stagnant in recent years due to lack of investments caused by uncertainty stemming from diverse socio-economic problems. Countries that boast significant growth in this sector are Peru and Chile, with 31% and 24% growth respectively. However, demand for colocation services in these countries continues to outpace supply due to lack of facilities, which is why some companies are forced to opt for providers located in a neighbouring market (i.e. Brazil). The majority of datacenters that were or are being built in Brazil are made to cater to enterprise or government clients, while only a small proportion are for third-party datacenters, such as carrier-neutral providers. Most datacenters being concentrated in Sao Paulo is attributable to the city’s climate, which is mild, and generally warm and temperate. This allows providers to benefit from considerable free cooling throughout the year.

We may outline the following advantages for colocation:

– Brazil is the most developed colocation market in Latin America
– variable but great climate around the country, especially in Sao Paulo
– developed technical infrastructure in big cities
– low cost of electricity, but not lower than surrounding markets’

Brazil is one of the most thriving web hosting markets in Latin America, and current trends indicate slow but steady growth in this sector, in comparison with other neighbouring markets where hosting providers seem to be absent. Brazil is often preferred by US customers who are on the lookout for cheaper but not necessarily more reliable hosting solutions. However, the customers in question usually meet with difficulties mainly revolving around language barriers, as most Brazil-based hosts do not provide support for English; their services cater to a local clientele exclusively. It should also be noted that there is virtually no difference between web hosts located in Brazil and web hosts located in the US as far as latency is concerned; visitors routed to either country should experience no delay unless other external causes emerge.