Today, we break down Brazil’s Q2 GDP results. Some positive news that makes 5G technology closer to reality. Bolsonaro makes anti-vax a state policy. And Brazil’s lack of readiness for the General Data Protection Law.
Bolsonaro removes major 5G bottleneck
President Jair Bolsonaro issued a decree on Tuesday facilitating the installation of new antennas in Brazil. Telecommunications companies no longer need to pay municipal administrations for the right to install their equipment on right-of-ways, public thoroughfares, and other public spaces. Moreover, it speeds up licensing processes for new antennas.
- A 2015 bill established that cities must assess requests for antenna installations within 60 days, but as our August 28 Tech Roundup showed, this process can drag on for up to a year in major urban centers, such as the city of São Paulo. Now, a lack of response from regulators will constitute tacit approval.
- Earlier this year, Marcos Ferrari, president of the National Union of Telephone and Cellphone Service Companies (SindiTelebrasil), told The Brazilian Report that “there are more or less 4,000 license applications for new antennas stalled so far.”
Why it matters. Brazil currently has roughly 100,000 antennas, but it would need to double this number in the next...