A couple of weeks ago, Rio de Janeiro’s government has installed wi-fi routers for Internet connection along the entire shore of the world famous Copacabana beach. Now, if you are passing by or relaxing in the sun, all you need to do is pop-out your laptop, cell phone or any other geek-gag and start surfing (the Web, not the waves).
As far as I know, the Internet connection has a nice speed and is up and running since the first day of operation, 24h/day.
It’s a nice improvement. A little public action for the few richies in a country with no hospitals, but well.. ok. The sad thing about this is the fact that from the moment this wi-fi connection was announced, to the moment it was installed, plenty of time has passed. And, if you look closely, wi-fi connection at Copacabana beach is nothing compared to public Internet around the globe.
I don’t know if it’s true, but I saw on TV that Beijing, in China, has it’s entire territory wi-fi connected. In Europe and in the United States I believe this is a subject of the past decade.
My point is: a developed country has lots of ways to show it’s people and people of the world that it actually is a developed country. The technological display is surely one of this ways.
I can tell you, as a native, that we do have technology here, but all comes to Brazil after the true developed ones. Cell phones, computers, toys.. even medical care. Everything gets here late. Most brazilians, of course, hail these new stuff like they were the ultimate stuff available. I don’t blame them, of course not, but I find it’s a shame to illude people. And that’s what is done here.
I will not even start talking about the lack of regular Internet connection around the country, specially in poor areas. This is and endless topic, and I’ll keep it for a future post.
