Brazil’s Ligga taps Huawei as its first 5G network supplier

Brazil’s Ligga closed a contract with Huawei for the supply of network equipment for its 5G operation in the country's north, with an initial focus on the Amazon region.

The internet service provider (ISP) signed the deal last week during a working visit by Brazilian authorities and telecom companies to China.

The selection of a first 5G provider by Ligga was imminent as reported earlier this month by BNamericas. Ligga plans to switch on its first mobile networks using the technology by the end of this year.

In a statement, the carrier said that the MOU signed represents “a significant step towards the digital transformation of the Amazon.”

The agreement also involves the Amazônia 5G consortium, a group formed by around 50 ISPs operating in the region. Consortium providers are expected to lease Ligga's 5G network to offer mobile services to their broadband customers.

In Brazil’s 5G auction in 2021, Ligga bought spectrum and 5G operating licenses for Paraná and São Paulo states, and the north region. The company's strategy for most of the country is an indirect, wholesale-geared model, offering its 5G signal to other carriers.

Network suppliers for the other regions where Ligga will operate with 5G are expected to be announced soon. BNamericas has learned that the company will have at least two core 5G suppliers.

With operations concentrated in Paraná, Ligga serves approximately 380,000 customers in more than 400 cities in the state, as well as São Paulo and Mato Grosso state. 

Ligga's network spans more than 50,000km.