Brazil chases the future with 5G, VR, and Nanotechnology

Hello and welcome to The Brazilian Report Tech Round Up. This week, our main story is about the recent tests with 5G technology in Brazil. We also discuss the use of nanotechnology by University of São Paulo scientists to mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy; a São Paulo exhibit mixing virtual reality with music and art; and the ever going feud between tech giants and Brazil’s justice system.

Has the 5G revolution reached Brazil yet?

5G technology, the fifth generation of mobile internet connectivity, promises to be the next major revolution in the world. It will allow for much faster download and upload speeds, more stable connections, and exponentially wider coverage. It could be the turning point for the massification of the Internet of Things.

The first tests are being made in Brazil, in the southern city of Florianópolis—headed by Chinese behemoth Huawei, TIM Brasil, and the Certi Foundation. The 5G antenna was inaugurated on May 17—but the technology should only be made available to the public in 2021. This week, a demonstration was staged, showing download speeds around 10 times faster than 4G.

However, according to journalist Rodrigo Trindade, who was at the demonstration, “it failed to impress.” Mr. Trindade pointed out that only two mobile phones were connected to the network—a far cry from the millions of devices covered in big urban centers.

The government promises to auction the 5G spectrum next year—but that will not be an easy ordeal. Twenty-one percent of Brazilian towns still...