The introduction of 5G mobile technology in Brazil may not occur until late-2021/early-2022, a senior government figure has admitted. UOL quotes Marcos Pontes, the Minister of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications, as saying that the country’s 5G auction – which was initially earmarked to take place in March this year – has been postponed due to interference issues with the 3.5GHz band, which is currently used to support satellite TV services. Mr Pontes asserts that the authorities need a strategy in place before proceeding, in order to mitigate any issues. As a result, Brazil’s cellcos are likely to see a significant delay before their commercial 5G plans become a reality.
When it comes to fruition, the planned auction is expected to be the biggest in the history of the National Telecommunications Agency (Agencia Nacional de Telecomunicacoes, Anatel), and involve the 700MHz, 2.3GHz, 3.5GHz and 26GHz frequency bands.