Brazilian telecoms company Anatel to auction 5G spectrum
Brazil’s government-owned telecommunications company—Anatel—will auction its 5G mobile spectrum today.
The event will likely be the largest ever managed by Anatel and the largest in global 5G frequency auctions. Communications Minister Fabio Faria announced the government expects prospective companies to pay over $8.5 billion for the operating license of four different frequencies and investment in 5G infrastructure throughout the country. The purchase of these frequencies will allow 5G infrastructure suppliers to build-out systems more rapidly.
The auction represents a shift towards greater reliance on 5G technology in the region as similar auctions will take place in Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru in the next 18 months. A digital transformation of Latin American economies will improve productivity and spur income growth, delivering over $3.3 trillion in economic and social value to Latin America by 2035. The deployment of 5G technology in Brazil alone could have an economic impact of $1.216 trillion and see an increase in productivity worth $3.08 trillion.
The main international 5G suppliers operating in Latin America will be fiercely contesting the auction in Brazil—including Ericsson, Nokia and Huawei. Anatel will not limit supplier participation, despite international concerns regarding China’s state control and manipulation of Huawei.
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