All-in-one technology to bring 4G to Brazil’s far-flung rural areas

Brazil’s National Telecommunications Institute (Inatel), a research and education center in the field of engineering, put the finishing touches on an innovative radio communication apparatus back in April. LTE Network-in-a-Box is capable of supporting private wireless networks in remote areas, using the Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication standard, better known as 4G.

These wireless networks allow for the transmission of data and voice, facilitating the connection of machinery and equipment and the digital transformation of various areas of business, such as agricultural production, sugar and ethanol plants, miners, energy concessionaires, and oil and gas infrastructure companies. Even public security forces deployed in regions that do not receive service from telecom operators may benefit from the innovation.

LTE Network-in-a-Box was created in three different versions, to operate on the 250 megahertz (MHz), 700 MHz, and 1,800 MHz frequencies. The lower the frequency, the higher the signal reaches; in ideal conditions, a 250 MHz transmission may reach up to 100 kilometers, while one on the 1,800 MHz frequency can reach 5 km. According to Henry Rodrigues, technology and innovation coordinator of Inatel’s Radio Communications Reference Center (CCR), the 250 MHz version is the most developed. It is currently in the final stages of validation tests and a contract has been signed with an undisclosed partner to manufacture and sell the product.

Mr. Rodrigues believes this 250 MHz version will attract the most attention from the market due to Brazil’s telecoms regulations, which allow companies to operate on...