Brasília to become the first Brazilian city with an active 3.5 GHz 5G network

After months of waiting, 5G service will begin in Brazil on July 6. Brasília, the nation’s capital, will be the first location in the country to have the technology in the 3.5 GHz frequency, the main bandwidth sold at auction in November 2021. 

Initially, the deadline for the technology to be available in all 27 Brazilian state capitals was July 31. However, due to a lack of equipment for the implementation of the fifth-generation cellular service — caused by the global shortage of semiconductors and delays in customs clearance —, the deadline was pushed back to September 29. 

According to Gaispi, the group coordinating the deployment of the technology in the country, implementation in Brasília required less equipment than in other cities. The Brazilian capital will be 5G-ready before the rest of the country.

Last week, telecom and Anatel, the sector’s regulator, met to come up with a plan to speed up implementation across the country. 

A joint venture by Claro, Vivo, and TIM — which won the auction for authorization to operate the 3.5 GHz frequency band — says it is already installing filters on 5G antennas to avoid interference with satellite dish signals (used by some 20 million households in Brazil). 

The filters will also help companies safely deploy 5G around airports. Across the world, regulators have expressed concerns about interference with aircraft flight control.

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