As of today (6), five capitals in the North Region begin to have 5G internet signals being transmitted by the operators’ antennas. With this, the fifth generation of the technology completes the first stage foreseen in the public notice, making the service available to all 27 capitals in the country.
The signal starts to be connected in Belém (PA), Macapá (AP), Manaus (AM), Porto Velho (RO) and Rio Branco (AC), but the deadline for operators to connect all the stations planned – an antenna for per 100,000 inhabitants – will end on November 28.
According to advisor Moisés Queiroz Moreira – from the Monitoring Group for the Implementation of Solutions for Interference Problems in the 3,625 to 3,700 MHz band (Gaispi) – there will be 57 antennas in Belém; 18 in Macapa; 84 in Manaus; 21 in Porto Velho; and 15 in Rio Branco.
With the new technology, data transmission is faster, more stable and with lower response time (latency). The frequencies for 5G were auctioned in November 2021, with the initial forecast that the service would be available in all capitals by July 31, and that in other cities in the country the activation would be gradual until 2029.
First step
“It was a successful work in this initial phase, despite being difficult and [envolver] learning, because we were not fully aware of the problems that could arise”, said the counselor, referring to the conclusion of the first stage of delivery of the 3.5 GHz band, to be explored by three operators (Vivo, TIM and Claro) in all the capitals of the country.
According to the coordinator of Gaispi, Henrique Gomes Pinheiro, operators have installed, so far, “more than twice” the number of antennas provided for in the 5G public notice. “The minimum was 2,528 stations [para as três operadoras]. However, 5,275 have already been installed”, he said, informing that, with this, 5G is already present in 5% of the 93 thousand stations installed in the country.
He added that the service available in the 27 capitals reaches 24% of the Brazilian population and has the potential to reach 50 million people.
New step
Regarding the new stage foreseen in the public notice, which is to take 5G technology to cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants, the challenge now is to move forward in cleaning the spectrum used – which is the same as for satellite dishes. This stage is expected to start being implemented in January 2023.
In order to facilitate the process, will be distributed kits of antennas, which will replace the satellite dishes, for families enrolled in the federal government’s single register of social programs. In this sense, campaigns are planned to inform the population about how to schedule an exchange of equipment.
