Brazil's Fust fund faces criticism over TV 3.0 allocation and digital service charges

The Brazilian Universalization Fund for Telecommunications (Fust) has been directed to allocate roughly two‑thirds of its resources to the TV 3.0 project, a move that civil‑society groups say could delay broadband expansion in underserved rural, urban peripheral and indigenous areas. The Coalition Rights on the Net argues the fund, originally created to reduce digital inequality, should prioritize connectivity infrastructure before investing in the new digital television platform.

At the same time, the regulator Anatel has kept open a dispute on whether Fust should apply to revenues from value‑added digital services bundled with connectivity plans. Anatel president Carlos Baigorri asked for further review during a council meeting, while councilor Alexandre Freire voted to maintain the tax charge. The case involves Giga Mais Fibra, which contends that its streaming, cloud storage and other digital services are distinct from core telecom services and should not be subject to Fust contributions.