In an extraordinary meeting this Monday (01/02), the board of National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) postponed approval of the notice of 5G auction after the president of the entity and one of the advisors requested to review the document. The topic must be voted on again by February 24th.

Councilor Carlos Baigorri, who presented the notice, had the support of two other councilors for the approval of the document. The result indicates that the proposal should be approved, but the opinion of four other members of the board is still pending.

“This technology 5G has great potential for disruption in the telecommunications industry. It is a great window of opportunity that is presenting itself,” said Baigorri.

“The importance of this auction is fully understood. I recognize that the innovations proposed by the rapporteur are legitimate, but some of them were not on the radar and require further reflection,” stated the entity’s president Leonardo Euler, when he decided to postpone approval.

About the auction

Anatel intends to hold the auction 5G in Brazil in the first half of this year. The news is that the Huawei must be authorized to participate. President Jair Bolsonaro even indicated that he would block the Chinese company, following in Donald Trump's footsteps in the US. However, with the American's defeat and pressure from media companies, the Chinese company is expected to be released.

The negotiation should cover four bands in the frequencies 700 MHz, 2,3 GHz, 3,5 GHz and 26 GHz. The most controversial of these is the 3,5 GHz band, where the satellite dish signals operate in the country. Therefore, whoever acquires the band will have to invest in the distribution of Ku-band antennas, which operate in another band, in some locations. In general, only the 26 GHz band does not involve investment in improvements in other segments. This should be used in large urban centers.

Something similar happened with the 4G network, at the time one of the bands was also where the analog TV frequency operated and a process of distributing converters needed to be carried out to serve those who were left without a signal.

Another requirement for those who purchase the 3,5 GHz network is the creation of an exclusive network infrastructure for government agencies.

Image: Anucha Cheegang/iStock