Brazil issues decree for national IoT plan

Brazil’s government has issued a new decree implementing the national plan for the internet of things(IoT).The decree, signed by President Jair Bolsonaro and Elifas Gurgel, head of broadcasting at the ICT ministry (MCTIC), was published Wednesday in the federal gazette. It was being expected at least since the Temer administration.Although the text is generic, it defines some key guidelines for the implementation of IoT policy in the country.Above all, it states that sensors and IoT devices are not treated as “communications equipment” but value-added services, which renders the telecom fee known as Fistel non-applicable.The Fistel exemption for IoT devices was one of the industry’s main demands to facilitate the development of this market.Furthermore, the decree demands that measures developed under the plan must be aligned with the national digital transformation strategy, issued in March 2018.