SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian telecoms regulator Anatel approved on Thursday a plan to coordinate investments among public and private players aimed at increasing access to broadband in Latin America’s largest economy.
Brazilian units of Telefonica SA, Telecom Italia SpA, and Oi SA, rush to expand their fiber-to-home (FTTH) broadband service in Brazil.
According to Anatel, the plan, named as PERT, coordinates both public and private initiatives, in order to widen the access to fiber and, in cities where this is not possible, allows connections via satellite or other technologies.
The regulator estimates that only 3,542 out of a total of 5,570 cities in Brazil have access to fiber network.
In terms of mobile network, the measure is expected to enlarge 3G and 4G coverage in Brazil, benefiting 3.8 million people in isolated areas and 11 million city inhabitants, Anatel added.
Companies have been closely watching Anatel’s moves, as the agency prepares itself to launch an auction for 5G frequencies as early as next year.
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