My US model Sony Android TV didn't come with a default web browser.
However, Sony gives instructions on how to find and install a web browser. See: https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00121075
[~Solved]
I did it the brute force way: hard reset, full reinstall. The browser is working now.
I will never know what went wrong, and if it happens again (why not?) I will have to repeat the same.
This is what happens when your TV does not have internet access. Check your network.