Brazil's Brisanet, Unifique granted spectrum to expand mobile operations

Two of Brazil’s largest internet service providers, Brisanet and Unifique, were granted fresh spectrum to complement and expand their nascent mobile businesses, according to authorizations issued by regulator Anatel.

In Brisanet's case, the company was allowed to use the 2.5GHz spectrum on a secondary basis, that is, without direct ownership and without exclusive use of the bands. 

The permits are valid until July 2029, Anatel said in a notice published in the official gazette. 

The authorization is for use in 119 municipalities in states in the northeast of Brazil, which is the company’s focus, and is divided into blocks. 

The spectrum will complement other frequency bands already operated by Brisanet.

In the 2021 5G auction, Brisanet, which is the fifth largest fixed broadband provider in the country, acquired its first mobile licenses (primary basis) purchasing blocks in the 3.5GHz and 2.3GHz bands. 

The company has already gone live with its commercial mobile services, reporting 157,684 accesses at the end of July, up 29,280 during the month, as shown on its latest monthly operational data.

Brisanet said it ended July with 7.1mn inhabitants covered by its mobile infrastructure.

UNIFIQUE

Also on a secondary basis, Unifique received authorization from Anatel to operate an additional 5MHz of spectrum in the 700MHz band in 522 municipalities in the southern states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina.

The operator previously received from Anatel the right to secondary use of blocks of 10MHz in the 700MHz band in 565 municipalities in the two states.

The new authorization is valid until August 2029.

Last month, Unifique was also allowed by Anatel to operate as an MVNO nationwide, leasing network capacity from a mobile operator. 

That license did not encompass Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, where Unifique provides 5G as a traditional operator. In the 5G auction, the company bought a regional license in the 3.5GHz band to offer 5G in both states.

Unifique’s 5G network now operates in six municipalities, five of which are in Santa Catarina (Garuva, Guabiruba, Timbó, Tijucas and São João do Itaperiú). The other is in Taquari, Rio Grande do Sul.

As of June, Unifique had 31,000 mobile subscribers and the company plans to end 2024 with 100,000.