Brazilian regional operator Algar Telecom has committed to deactivating and removing its legacy copper networks by 2025. Osvaldo Carrijo, Algar’s VP of InfraCo and Wholesale, told TeleTime that the network modernisation programme is called ‘Fibra Verde’, and involves the removal of copper in all 87 of Algar’s concession areas. The project is still in its infancy, however; just 47 tonnes of copper have been removed to date, out of a possible 8,000 tonnes.
According to data from the National Telecommunications Agency (Agencia Nacional de Telecomunicacoes, Anatel), of the 1.377 million fixed voice subscriptions that Algar served at 31 December 2022, 1.009 million were PSTN lines, with just 368,259 using VoIP technology.