Anatel releases new prefix for mobile telephony in Sao Paulo (Brazil)
Anatel, Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency, has released a new prefix i.e. 5 for mobile phones in the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo. This would be available from April 4.The prefix was previously used for fixed telephony services.
According to the regulator, the measure raises the numbering capacity for mobile telephony to 6.9 million combinations. Thus, the total number of mobile phones possible in area 11 will rise from 37 million to 43.9 million mobile lines. In January this year, the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo had more than 28 million mobile subscribers. The prefix 5 will continue to be used on landlines as well.
Oi extends 2G/3G coverage in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)
Brazilian telecom operator, Telemar Norte Leste (Oi) has reportedly extended its coverage in Rio Grande do Sul state in 2010.
Last year, the operator’s 2G signal reached 63% of the population living there, thanks to the addition of 104 municipalities, while 3G coverage was increased to 30%.
The latest areas served with 3G are the coastal areas of Osorio and Torres e Xangri-la and the cities such as Alegrete, Canela, Carazinho, Cruz Alta, Jaguarao, Sant’Angelo and Sapiranga amongst others.
Brazil’s telecoms regulator Anatel reports that Oi has the fourth largest coverage in the country, with 2,913 municipalities covered by 2G and 3G technologies, reaching 83.2% of the population. Oi has not yet provided its expansion plans for the year ahead.
Anatel adds 29m new connections in 2010 (Brazil)
Brazil has recorded 202.9 million total number of registered SIMs at the end of last year. It recorded a net addition of 29 million phones over the twelve-month period.
The net gain was the second largest annual increase ever reported by National Regulator Anatel; a record 29.7 million new mobile phones were added in 2008. By 31 December 2010 cellular penetration in the country reached 104.7%, with pre-paid services accounting for the overwhelming majority of lines (167.1 million, or 82.3%) and contract customers the remainder (35.8 million, 17.7%).
In addition, GSM continues to be the most popular technology, used by some 87.8% of mobile phones, although Anatel reported 20.6 million 3G connections by the year-end, an increase of 138.1% year-on-year.
Anatel publish new regulations for national fixed, mobile services (Brazil)
Anatel, Brazil’s telecoms regulator has published new regulations outlined to extend the provision of fixed and mobile services nationwide by using the 450MHz-470MHz band.
The Brazilian government is expecting the initiative will help it to bridge the so-called digital divide by clearing and reallocating spectrum bandwidth. The CDMA Development Group (CDG) has given its open backing to the new regulations under which the 450MHz-470MHz band will be reallocated to deliver fixed and mobile services, including the full range of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) services nationwide across the country.
As per the plan, the spectrum will be allocated on a primary (non-exclusive) basis for mobile services (SMP), fixed telephone services (STFC) as well as multimedia communication services (SCM). It is understood Anatel will allocate the 451MHz-458MHz and 461MHz-468MHz bands, including a block of 7+7MHz spectrums. Current users of the 450MHz-470MHz frequency bands will be migrated to an alternative spectrum band to avoid interference and facilitate Brazil’s goal of providing coverage to areas of low population density.
According to CDG Director Perry LaForge, the agency applauded ANATEL for taking an important step toward bringing 3G voice and broadband data services to all Brazilians. He went on saying the propagation capabilities and advantages of the 450MHz-470MHz spectrum band make it ideal for delivering affordable telecommunication services to both rural and urban areas. They look forward to work with the government and the wireless industry to make CDMA2000-based services accessible to all regions of Brazil.
Nextel Brazil gives $714 million for nationwide 3G license
NII Holdings has announced that its subsidiary, Nextel Brazil was the winning bidder for 20 MHz licenses in the 1.9-2.1GHz frequency band (H band) auctioned by Brazil’s telecoms regulator, Anatel.
Nextel Brazil was the successful bidder for 11 of the 13 lots included in the H Band auction. The regional licenses won by Nextel Brazil cover approximately 182.4 million people in the country, or 97% of the Brazilian population, and 97% of the areas that generate the GDP in Brazil. These licenses cover all major metropolitan areas in Brazil including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia.
According to Nextel Brazil, it plans to utilize this spectrum to invest, build and deploy a 3G network across Brazil.
This 3G network will complement the company’s existing iDEN network, and it expects to launch commercial services on this network in certain markets in the next 12 to 18 months.
Nextel Brazil’s winning bids for the spectrum totaled US$714.4 million for the 20MHz in eleven of the thirteen lots included in the H band auction.
According to Steven Dussek, Chief Executive Officer of NII Holdings, this is an exciting time for NII and Nextel Brazil. Winning 3G spectrum in Brazil is an important milestone for the company, and it will allow them to invest, build and deploy a 3G network across the country, expanding their coverage and enabling them to provide a wider range of high-value wireless services to their current and future customers in the country.
Six submit bids for Brazil’s H Band auction
Anatel, Brazil’s national telecoms regulator has revealed that six groups have submitted proposals to bid for the country’s final 3G mobile frequencies the so-called H Band.
The six are domestic operators Vivo, Claro, TIM Brasil, Oi, Nextel and CTBC. The regulator has set up a Special Licensing Committee (CEL) which will assess the applications on 14 December. The H Band auction comprises 165 lots of spectrum with a minimum price of US$649 million, and US$410.31 million for leftover spectrum.
According to reports, at this stage though, only Nextel fulfils the basic stated requirement of the H Band auction i.e. as an iDEN digital trunking operator it will be classed as a new entrant in the GSM/W-CDMA market. As such, if it bids for the new licence it is understood that four GSM operators (Vivo, Claro, TIM Brasil and Oi) will be restricted to bidding for the frequencies as extension bands. If Nextel and CTBC fails to express an interest in the H Band, the other operators will be allowed to compete.
Anatel leads with H Band mobile auction (Brazil)
Anatel, Brazil’s telecoms regulator has reportedly rejected petitions to permit existing mobile operators to participate in the upcoming auction of H Band 3G mobile spectrum.
Earlier this year, Telemar Norte Leste (Telemar, or Oi) and SindiTelebrasil, an association representing local telephony companies, each submitted petitions to block the forthcoming auction of the H Band spectrum.
According to reports, with Anatel looking to start the tender to allocate the country’s last planned award of frequencies for 3G mobile services on 14 December, the two parties cried foul at the watchdog’s decision to prevent current operators Oi, TIM Brasil, Vivo Participacoes and Telecom Americas (Claro) from participating, saying it had failed to justify the reasons for their exclusion.
In their appeals, SindiTelebrasil and Oi argued Anatel was acting as a bar to competition and hampering the rapid launch of 3G services.
Anatel approves regulation to launch new MVNO (Brazil)
Agencia Nacional de Telecomunicacoes (Anatel), Brazil’s telecoms regulator has approved regulations designed to help the introducing new mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) schemes in the country.
As per the new rules, companies such as banks and retailers will be allowed to set up MVNO operations. It is understood that the likes of Pao de Acucar, Casas Bahia, Carrefour and Pernambucanas already have an interest in this market, while other banking groups could participate in a move that could drive down costs for users.
Anatel’s new rules specify that any firm interested in offering MVNO services must be headquartered in Brazil, and most of its shares (or shares with voting rights) must be owned by Brazilian nationals or domestic corporations. The regulator’s goal is to increase competition in the sector and its scope.
Portugal Telecom expects to close Oi deal by March 2011
The Chief Executive of Portugal Telecom, Zeinal Bava believes that Portugal Telecom (PT) can seal its deal with the Brazilian telecommunications group Oi (Tele Norte Leste Participa§µes) before the end of March 2011.
According to Bava, negotiations are progressing very well. The company is confident that it will get all deals done by the end of March, if not sooner… maybe even February.
Oi and Portugal Telecom at the end of October extended the deadline for negotiations over their future partnership until Jan. 31, 2011. Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, has approved Portugal Telecom’s plan to take a stake in Oi but the two groups are now finalizing the terms and conditions of their industrial alliance.
As per the CEO, it is too early to give details on plans it has for Oi until the deal is signed. The company will leverage their know-how and their partner’s knowledge to do a better job in the future.
The PT is also interested in acquisitions in Africa, but will consider any opportunity carefully, explained the executive.
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Brazil Mobile Penetration Reached 96%: 1.89 Million New Mobile Subscribes in July’10
Brazil saw a significant growth in its new mobile subscriptions as it grew to 187 million in July, the telecommunications regulator Anatel revealed.
1.89 million new subscriptions were added in the month of July, an increase of 1.02% compared to June. Brazil has recorded 13.06 million new users in 2010.
Brazil now has 96.83 mobile phone users for every 100 population by now. Of the total number of mobile phones, almost 80% are prepaid and the remaining 20% postpaid.
Vivo remained the market leader with 30.25 percent of the total and is closely challenged by Claro 25.42%, TIM 24.05%, Oi 19.93% and others 0.35%.
