Stockholm: Remote communities in the Amazon have connectivity for the first time, thanks to the project Amazon Connection in which Ericsson has joined with partners to provide mobile broadband to people in the region. The first phase of the project, Connect Belterra, began in 2009, connecting the Belterra village.
In 2011, the second phase was launched, bringing WCDMA/3G broadband to the village of Suruaca, along the Tapajos River. Alternative energy solutions such as solar panels were installed. Communication and access to basic services, such as health and education, have improved the prospects of the people in the communities, enabling a more economically active population that can support local livelihoods.
The Amazon project has resulted in digital inclusion in a total of 50 communities via mobile device and investments in both urban and rural areas.