5G infrastructure installation cleared in 74 new municipalities in Southeast region

This is a machine translation of a press release by Brazil's communications ministry

The infrastructure for 5G will be expanded in the Southeast region of the country, with the possibility of installing the technology in 74 new cities starting next week. The authorization took place during the meeting of the Monitoring Group for the Implementation of Solutions for Interference Problems in the 3,625 to 3,700 MHz band (Gaispi), this Wednesday (26). The group was created by the 5G Edict and has the participation of the Ministry of Communications (MCom).

Throughout the country, 964 municipalities now have the 3.5 GHz Band released to implement the service, benefiting 131.5 million Brazilians - 62% of the population. MCom estimates that by the end of this semester, around 1,600 cities have already been released to receive the 5G network infrastructure.

"The release of the band for 5G and the implementation of the technology are fundamental in promoting the digital inclusion of citizens. In addition to advancing in the release of the band, we continue talking with the operators so that they can offer this service with quality", explains the minister Communications, Juscelino Filho.

The state of São Paulo received the most releases, with 26 benefited municipalities. Next are Rio de Janeiro, with 24 cities; Minas Gerais, with 21; and Espírito Santo, with three municipalities that will be able to count on the infrastructure for 5G.

Check the list of covered counties

The authorizations follow the guidelines of the 5G Notice and occur when the migration of the free-to-air television signal reception through satellite dishes in the satellite C band to the Ku band is completed. The public notice for the auction also guaranteed investment by the winning operators for the distribution of reception kits to low-income Brazilians enrolled in the Federal Government's Single Registry for Social Programs (CadÚnico).

INSTALLATION - The release of the band does not imply the immediate installation of 5G networks in the locations, since, according to the notice, commitments are scheduled to expire in 2025. The anticipated installation of 5G stations in these cities depends on planning and interest of each provider.