The Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations, and Communications (MCTIC) published this week, in the Official Gazette, a decree that establishes the guidelines for the auction of 700 MHz, 2.3 GHz, 3.5 GHz radio frequency bands and 26 GHz, which will be used to implement the fifth generation of mobile telephony in Brazil, known as 5G.
This ordinance starts the whole process of implementing 5G technology in Brazil. The new technology is one of the priorities of the Federal Government and the established guidelines have the objective that the arrival of 5G in the country occurs in a safe and solid way.
The ordinance contains a series of measures and guidelines for the bidding of frequency bands, which will be carried out by the National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL).
The MCTIC ordinance also states that in the auction of bands for the implementation of 5G, Anatel must consider:
– Service with mobile broadband using 4G technology or higher for cities, towns, isolated urban areas and rural agglomerations with a population of more than 600 inhabitants;
– Coverage of federal highways with mobile broadband;
High-speed transport networks, preferably in optical fiber, for municipalities not yet served;
Encouraging the sharing of active and passive infrastructure between providers, including posts, towers, ducts, and conduits.
The document also points out that Anatel should define deadlines for the activation of services in the bidding bands that, if not met, allow the use of the banner by interested third parties. Another point is the establishment of mechanisms that ensure the attendance of visiting subscribers between the networks of the different operators.