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Brazil is a technically-advanced country and has sophisticated telecommunications, internet and broadcasting facilities.

The fixed-line market has been privatized and the four main operators are Telesp, Telemar, Brasil Telecom and Embratel. It is very expensive to make international calls from a fixed-line phone in Brazil, and VoIP has become a popular alternative.

Mobile phones are becoming much more popular than fixed-line telephones. Mobile phones mainly use the GSM system, and coverage varies in different parts of the country. The four biggest mobile phone companies in Brazil are Vivo, Claro, TIM Brasil and Oi.

A number of companies offer combined VoIP, broadband and pay TV services, including TV Cidade and TVA.

Brazil reportedly has the 10th largest number of internet users in the world, and there has been a major shift from dial-up to broadband services in recent years, with ADSL now accounting for nearly 80% of the broadband market.

Brazilian Correio, the national postal service, is fairly reliable and there are many post offices throughout the country. It is important to use priority mail services when sending letters or parcels overseas, otherwise delivery is likely to be very slow. On average, airmail to Europe takes around five days. Post office opening hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturdays.

Brazil has hundreds of TV channels and thousands of radio stations. A few large commercial companies, such as Globo, dominate the broadcasting market. Cable and satellite TV are both popular in Brazil and there are a number of English-language channels.

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