Article

José Afrânio Araújo Brandão; Ítalo de Oliveira Braga

DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-2026M08

Article developed by the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by the Pecege Institute focused on synthesis and writing.

Abstract

The Brazilian agribusiness, an economic pillar of the country, faced the challenge of modernization due to the precariousness of rural connectivity in remote areas, which imposed severe bottlenecks on the sector’s development and demanded state actions given the low private investment. This study aimed to analyze digital access difficulties and propose a systematic approach for decision-making in agriculture, based on a multi-criteria analysis. The research relied on official and updated data from renowned institutions, evaluating contemporary technological alternatives such as fiber optics, 5G networks, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, and Mesh networks. An international benchmarking was conducted with countries of continental dimensions like the USA and Australia, and a weighted scoring matrix was developed, which converted the complexity and subjectivity of technical variables into an objective evaluation tool, analyzing intrinsic characteristics and revealing patterns. The results demonstrated that hybrid, multiple, and locally adapted solutions were the most effective for expanding connectivity. It was concluded that the use of checklists and parameterized tables offers robust support for project implementation, reducing investment uncertainties and enabling digital transformation in the countryside.

Keywords: Agribusiness; Rural communication; Multicriteria decision; Digitalization; Infrastructure.

1. Introduction

Agribusiness is a robust and dynamic pillar of the Brazilian economy, essential for the country’s development. In 2024, the sector contributed approximately 22% to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Cepea, 2024). Agriculture, a key component, accounted for about 5.6% of GDP, totaling R$ 11.7 trillion in the same year (IBGE, 2024). The Ministry of Finance’s (2025) projection of a Gross Value of Agricultural Production (VBP) of R$ 1.431 trillion for 2025 reinforces its economic and strategic importance.

This relevance is the result of a continuous modernization process, driven by the adoption of advanced technologies that optimize the production chain. The digitalization of the field allows for real-time monitoring, precise climate forecasting, efficient water management, soil diagnostics, and pest control, leading to a substantial increase in productivity and sustainability (IBGE). However, the full potential of this technological revolution is intrinsically linked to overcoming a structural challenge: the precariousness of rural communication.

Despite the advances, the telecommunications infrastructure in Brazil still faces significant barriers in rural areas. The expansion of fiber optics, although progressive, is advancing slowly, covering 83.97% of municipalities, but with difficulties in remote and low-density population regions (Anatel, 2024). In 2017, Anatel’s Telecommunications Networks Structural Plan (PERT) indicated that only 28.19% of rural establishments had internet access. In 2021, 5G coverage in the countryside was nonexistent, with a target of 57.67% by 2027.

Although Anatel’s Annual Management Report (2024) points to the expansion of 4G and the release of 5G for all five thousand five hundred and seventy municipalities, the rural reality is challenging. The lack of fiber optic infrastructure, the high cost of installing towers in remote locations, the low digital literacy of the population, and the low return on private investments in low-density demographic areas persist as substantial obstacles, creating persistent digital exclusion. This problem is common in continental countries like the United States and Australia, which face similar challenges in expanding rural telecommunications (FCC, 2025; RMIT University, 2023).

The expansion of telecommunications is a constant objective, with the potential to bring transformative benefits, such as increased productivity, greater sustainability, and reduction of regional inequalities. Technological innovation, including the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G networks, and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, is a crucial lever. Law No. 11.475/2022, which established the National Policy for the Incentive of Precision Agriculture, and Decree No. 12.023/2024, which created the Structural Telecommunications Network Plan (PERT) to expand 5G in rural areas, reinforce the importance of connectivity for the sector’s development. Given the complexity of choosing the most suitable technology for each rural reality, multicriteria analysis emerges as a fundamental theoretical concept to rationalize decision-making factors, converting the subjectivity of variables into an objective evaluation tool.

Therefore, the present study is justified by the urgency to overcome digital exclusion in the countryside and by the need to optimize investments in communication infrastructure. The research highlights connectivity as a determining variable for agricultural modernization and contributes with a proactive analysis on the optimization of technological resources according to each concrete reality. This study aims to analyze the bottlenecks and challenges of communication infrastructures in Brazil, focusing on rural regions, and to propose a systematic approach for decision-making in agriculture, based on a multicriteria analysis.

2. Material and Methods

The research was characterized as a study of an exploratory, descriptive, and propositive nature, with a quali-quantitative methodological approach. A comparative analysis of existing and tested solutions was carried out, aiming to identify best practices and persistent obstacles in rural connectivity. The objective was to present an overview of technological options capable of mitigating barriers, translating into practical recommendations for decision-making.

The study was based on secondary data, collected from official and updated sources from renowned institutions. Information from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), the Ministry of Communications, and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) was used. Complementarily, an international benchmarking was carried out with data from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Australia’s RMIT University, to contextualize the Brazilian challenges.

The choice of official digital sources was justified by their ability to offer frequent updates, overcoming the temporal lag of printed publications. This strategy ensured a contemporary analysis, reflecting the reality projected for 2025 and minimizing data discrepancies. The vast volume of information available on the internet allowed for efficient organization and comparison of data, which were cross-referenced to identify patterns and opportunities.

For the evaluation of complex decisions, a structured multicriteria analysis methodology was employed. This method rationalized the decision factors, converting quantitative and qualitative data into a single context. The approach aimed to decompose the problem into manageable elements, stipulating logical criteria for an objective evaluation of technological alternatives.

The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was used to break down the main problem into smaller criteria and sub-criteria, organizing them into a tree structure. At the top was the general objective; at the intermediate level, the criteria and sub-criteria; and at the base, the solution alternatives. This hierarchy allowed for an understanding of how each component influenced the final objective, ensuring an objective and well-founded choice.

A 1-to-5 value scale was defined to assess each technology’s performance against the criteria, where 1 represented poor performance and 5, excellent. A binary scale was not used, but rather a performance scale, to capture the technologies’ adaptability to rural challenges. Each evaluation criterion was assigned a weight (from 1 to 5), reflecting its strategic importance, with higher weights assigned to critical criteria.

The final score for each technology was obtained by summing the weighted values, resulting from the multiplication of the criterion’s weight by the assigned score. To avoid distortions, the criteria were grouped into seven strategic categories, each with a ceiling on percentage influence on the final result. The categories included Technology and Coverage (25%), Geography and Access (20%), Social Applications (15%), Cost and Governance (15%), Sustainability (10%), Security (10%), and Engagement (5%).

Based on logical scoring criteria, a comparative matrix was developed to evaluate different connectivity technologies. The technologies analyzed included low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, 4G/5G networks, radio/microwave, community networks, hybrid solutions, and laser beams. The purpose was to identify the most suitable technology for implementation in rural areas, considering technical, environmental, economic, social, management, and resilience factors.

To facilitate understanding and comparative visualization of technologies, the data were organized in a structure that allowed the assignment of performance concepts. A color scale was used to represent the level of adequacy: Excellent/High (green), Medium/Moderate (orange), Low/Reasonable (yellow), Low/Limited (red), and Variable/Depends (blue). This visual representation aided in observing the intrinsic characteristics of each solution.

From the evaluation matrix and performance concepts, a detailed checklist was developed. This checklist broke down the criteria into specific items, such as terrain mapping, population density, climate risks, accessibility, environmental impact, sustainability, community consultation, technological adequacy, scalability, resilience, coverage, costs, speed, social benefits, planning, maintenance, partnerships, and monitoring. The tool was designed to assist managers and investors in decision-making.

3. Results and Discussion

The analysis of the evolution of the Gross Domestic Product and the telecommunications sector in Brazil, between 2014 and 2024, revealed a complex trajectory, with periods of growth and contraction that did not always align. In 2014, the telecommunications sector showed a growth of 3%, surpassing the GDP, which registered 0.5%, driven mainly by the expansion of mobile broadband and the growing demand for data. However, subsequent economic crises in 2015 and 2016 negatively impacted both indicators, with the GDP falling 3.5% and 3.3% respectively, and telecommunications declining 0.4% and 3.4% in the same years, evidencing the sector’s sensitivity to macroeconomic fluctuations.

The period between 2017 and 2019 was particularly challenging for telecommunications, which registered negative variations of 2.8%, 2.6%, and 0.9%, respectively, even with the GDP recovery. This divergence pointed to the existence of persistent structural challenges in the sector, which were aggravated by the 2020 pandemic, resulting in drops of over 3% for both indicators and reflecting an almost economic standstill. The GDP recovery in 2021 (4.8%) and 2022 (3%) was not accompanied by equivalent growth in telecommunications, which continued in negative territory, with drops of 0.2% and 6.7% respectively, suggesting ongoing difficulties in adapting and expanding infrastructure.

In 2023, a turning point was observed, with both indicators growing above 3%, signaling a synchronized recovery, driven by infrastructure investments, such as 5G technology. The year 2024 consolidated this recovery, with the telecommunications sector growing 4.8%, surpassing the GDP of 3.4%. This robust performance reflects the consolidation of 5G networks, initiated with the spectrum auction in 2021, and the increased demand in an increasingly digitized economy. The modernization of telecommunications has therefore become a crucial factor for the advancement of agriculture, as evidenced by Law No. 11,475/2022, which established the National Policy for the Incentive of Precision Agriculture, and by Decree No. 12,023/2024, which created the Structural Telecommunications Network Plan to expand 5G in rural areas.

Despite general advances in connectivity, the Brazilian rural reality still faces significant barriers. IBGE data (PNAD Contínua 2022) indicated that 87.2% of people over ten years old use the internet, with mobile telephony being the main means of communication, representing 98.9% of accesses, in contrast to microcomputers, televisions, and tablets. Mobile network coverage grew from 86.2% to 92.0% in total households between 2016 and 2022. However, in rural areas, only 69.4% of households had mobile phones and 78.1% used the internet, with obstacles such as lack of digital skills, necessity, or high service cost.

Mobile coverage, according to Anatel, reaches 91.16% of residents, with 99.57% in urban areas and 45.56% in rural areas, distributed across 5,565 municipalities with seven operators. The Brazilian Connectivity Index (IBC), from July 2024, showed that access by technology was: 2G (7.7%), 3G (7.2%), 4G (73.3%), and 5G (11.8%). These data highlight that, although 5G is expanding, the majority of rural users still depend on 4G, underscoring the need for advancements so that fifth-generation technology reaches a larger number of users in the countryside. The precariousness of fiber optic infrastructure and the high cost of installing towers in remote locations persist as substantial obstacles, exacerbating digital exclusion.

The comparative analysis with countries of similar territorial extensions, such as the United States and Australia, revealed common challenges in the expansion of rural telecommunications. In these countries, low economic viability and geographical barriers also generate digital exclusion and impact agriculture. In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pointed out that 15% of rural households lack fixed broadband in 2025, a percentage that rises to 20% in more remote areas. Programs like the ReConnect Program, from the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which finances rural infrastructure, face difficulties similar to those in Brazil in areas with challenging access.

In Australia, the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (RMIT University) indicated that, between 2020 and 2023, 9.4% of the population remained excluded, with a highlight on indigenous peoples (21.3%), the elderly, and remote residents (32.6%). The inequality of access is aggravated by the end of 3G networks in 2024, resulting in limited coverage. Fixed wireless and satellite networks, such as NBN Co’s Sky Muster, offer slow speeds and are vulnerable to natural disasters. Geographic distance also increases maintenance costs, and the lack of providers drives up prices. The challenges in the US and Australia are, therefore, analogous to those in Brazil, with the slow implementation of 5G in all three countries, limiting the advancement of precision agriculture and requiring flexible policies and inclusive strategies for vulnerable populations.

Given this scenario, the study proposed a systematic approach for decision-making in agriculture, based on a multi-criteria analysis, aiming to optimize investments in rural communication. This systematic approach was developed to assist managers and investors in choosing the most suitable technology for each local reality, considering technical, environmental, economic, social, management, and resilience factors. The methodology employed used a rating scale from one to five, where one point indicates a very poor technology for a given criterion and five points indicate excellence. This approach allowed for a performance evaluation that considers the adaptability of each technology to the specific challenges of the rural environment.

The systematic approach included assigning weights to each evaluation criterion, reflecting its strategic importance. Critical criteria, such as terrain mapping and connectivity prioritization for schools, were assigned a weight of five, while important criteria, though not project-prohibiting, such as local population involvement, received a weight of two or three. This weighting ensures that aspects vital to the community have a greater impact on the final outcome. The final score for each technology is the sum of the weighted values, ensuring that a technology with high speed, for example, does not stand out if it is fragile against natural disasters or too expensive for local maintenance.

The macro-block structure, with percentages of influence on the final outcome, was established to avoid distortions and ensure democratic balance among the themes. The “Technology and Coverage” category received the highest weight, at 25%, defining the technical functionality and scope of the solution. “Geography and Access” had 20%, ensuring respect for local topography. “Social Applications” and “Cost and Governance” received 15% each, balancing real benefit with financial viability. “Sustainability” and “Security” had 10% each, and “Engagement” 5%, serving as support pillars. This distribution prevents a technology from being chosen solely for being cheap if it fails in social or environmental aspects.

Based on this structure, a detailed checklist was developed for the analysis and implementation of new communication technologies in the field, covering seven main categories. The first category, “Analysis of the local context” (weight 20%), includes terrain mapping, population density, climate risks, and accessibility. The second, “Environmental impact” (weight 10%), focuses on environmental preservation, energy sustainability, and community consultation. The third, “Technology choice” (weight 25%), evaluates contextual suitability, scalability, resilience, coverage, implementation cost, and connection speed. The fourth, “Community benefits” (weight 15%), considers access to education, digital health, economic opportunities, and social inclusion.

The fifth category, “Planning and maintenance” (15% weight), addresses cost-benefit, local capacity building, partnerships, and monitoring. The sixth, “Risks and mitigations” (10% weight), deals with natural disasters, vandalism/theft, obsolescence, and resilience/maintenance. Finally, the seventh category, “Engagement and communication” (5% weight), involves public consultation, transparency, and digital education. This checklist, with its weights and criteria, offers a practical and objective guide for decision-making, converting the complexity of variables into a structured evaluation tool that considers the reality of a continental country like Brazil.

The comparison of different connectivity technologies for rural and remote areas, using the multicriteria evaluation matrix, revealed that the Hybrid Solution, which combines different technologies, obtained the highest total score, with 371 points. This result suggests that the most effective approach is not the adoption of a single technology, but rather the combination of several, adapting to the specific needs of each location. The Hybrid Solution stood out in factors such as population involvement, good scalability, and equipment durability, indicating its flexibility and ability to adapt to complex scenarios.

Community Network and Radio/Microwave technologies also presented high scores, with 340 and 336 points, respectively. The Community Network stood out for its strong social involvement and its ability to serve marginalized communities, making it an ideal option for inclusion projects. Radio/Microwave was valued for its robustness and ease of maintenance in rural environments. These solutions proved to be more suitable for most Brazilian rural scenarios due to their economic viability, technical robustness, and capacity to promote local autonomy, according to the analysis of weighted criteria.

On the other hand, LEO Satellite and 4G/5G Network achieved intermediate scores. LEO Satellite stood out for its ability to cover large areas with little infrastructure, obtaining the highest score in the terrain mapping criterion. 4G/5G, in turn, showed good performance in expansion capacity and speed. However, both technologies lost points in factors such as initial cost and the need for complex infrastructure, which are significant disadvantages in remote areas. Fiber Optic and Free Space Optics (FSO) technologies obtained the lowest scores. Fiber optic, although ideal in denser areas, proved unfeasible for difficult-to-access terrain or areas with very dispersed populations. Laser Beam, despite being fast, proved to be very vulnerable to environmental risks such as rain or fog, making it a less resilient option.

The analysis of the results clearly demonstrated that there is no single, universal solution for connecting rural areas. The best technology depends on a detailed assessment of local factors, and the Hybrid Solution emerged as the most advantageous due to its flexible nature, which allows combining the best of each technology. For example, a project can use a satellite connection for a very remote region and distribute the signal in a nearby village through a community or radio network. The main insight is that collaboration between different technologies and between communities and companies themselves is the most effective path to successful rural connectivity.

The critical points identified include the high initial and maintenance costs in almost all technologies, especially in the more sophisticated ones like fiber, satellite, and submarine cables. Resilience to environmental risks is still fragile in some options, such as radio and community Wi-Fi, and protection against vandalism and equipment durability represent challenges in the most exposed solutions. As strategies, it was highlighted that there is no perfect technology, and the choice should consider the local context: satellite or radio for dispersed rural areas, community Wi-Fi for small and organized communities, and fiber or 5G for urban and high-demand areas.

In summary, the research showed that the precariousness of rural connectivity in Brazil is a structural bottleneck for agribusiness, with challenges similar to those faced by continental countries like the USA and Australia. The proposed multicriteria analysis system, with its weighted checklist and detailed comparison of technologies, demonstrated that hybrid solutions adapted to the local reality are the most effective. This approach offers robust support for decision-making, enabling investment optimization and the viability of digital transformation in the countryside, by considering the complexity of technical, economic, social, and environmental factors.

4. Conclusion

The present study aimed to analyze the bottlenecks and challenges of communication infrastructures in Brazil, with a focus on rural regions, and to propose a systematic approach for decision-making in agriculture, based on a multi-criteria analysis. It was found that the precariousness of rural connectivity constitutes a structural bottleneck for Brazilian agribusiness, presenting challenges analogous to those faced by countries of continental dimensions such as the United States and Australia. It was observed that, despite advances in overall coverage, the reality in the countryside still lacks adequate infrastructure, with significant barriers such as the high cost of implementation and the low digital literacy of the population. The detailed analysis of contemporary technological alternatives demonstrated that hybrid solutions, which combine different technologies, have emerged as the most effective and adaptable to the diversity of rural scenarios. It was identified that there is no single, universal solution, and the choice of the most suitable technology depends on a detailed evaluation of local factors, including technical, economic, social, and environmental aspects.

The main contribution of this work lies in the proposition of a multicriteria analysis methodology, materialized in a detailed checklist and a weighted scoring matrix. This tool offers robust support for managers and investors, converting the complexity and subjectivity of technical variables into an objective evaluation process, which allows for optimizing investments and reducing uncertainties in the implementation of rural connectivity projects. Although the methodology provides a logical and structured starting point, it is recognized that its value lies in the decision-maker’s ability to adjust the criteria weights to their specific reality, transforming potentially intuitive choices into informed decisions. For future studies, validation of this model with primary data and its sophistication through statistical analyses are suggested, aiming to further enhance its accuracy and applicability.

Bibliographic References

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IBGE. 2022. Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios Contínua. Disponível em
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IBGE. 2025. Produto Interno Bruto. Disponível em https://www.ibge.gov.br/explica/pib.php,
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Ministério da Fazenda. 2025. Valor Bruto da Produção Agropecuária. Disponível em
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economica/agricola/2025/2025-04-10-vbp-marco.pdf, acessado em 18 de abril de 2025.

RMIT University, 2023. Australian Digital Inclusion Index. Key findings and next steps – Australian Digital Inclusion Index, accessed April 20, 2025.

Article originating from a Final Coursework Project for Specialization in Agribusiness from the MBA USP/Esalq

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