Tech Roundup: Brazilian cities remain unprepared for 5G

This week: Only seven out of 27 Brazilian capitals are fully prepared to receive 5G. The promising Brazilian deep tech scene. Children have more smartphones in Brazil, but inequality persists.

Only seven out of 27 Brazilian capitals are prepared to receive 5G

In a country where almost 20 million people still do not have broadband internet access, there are several challenges to overcome before consumers can reap the benefits of 5G technology. One is the lack of proper legislation regarding the installation of 5G antennas in 20 of Brazil’s 27 state capitals. 

Why it matters. Modern and current legislation to facilitate the installation of antennas is an essential step to advance 5G technology in any country. 5G frequencies require five to 10 times more antennas than 4G to provide the same coverage.

Ready or not … The lack of legislation on the matter was questioned by Conexis Brasil Digital — which represents Brazil’s main mobile operators — on the eve of the long-awaited 5G auction on Thursday.

• In a survey, the organization showed that only seven state capitals are legally prepared to implement necessary 5G infrastructure. Another nine are still adapting.
• In addition to these seven capitals, another nine are on their way to having satisfactory legislation.
• São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, and Florianópolis — some of the biggest urban centers in the country — are still “working on changing the legislation for more modern laws that adhere to federal legislation.”

National legislation. The survey took into account municipal antenna laws for each capital, in addition to the degree of adherence of cities to the General Law on Antennas (LGA) of 2015. The text brings a series of rules that facilitate the installation of the equipment.

• Although...