Brazil reaches 23,098 5G antennas distributed across 815 municipalities

When it comes to 5G, it is not just a technological update, but changes that promise to transform the way society lives, works and connects. But how is the implementation of the new mobile network going in Brazil? Data from the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) – an agency linked to the Ministry of Communications – highlights 23,098 antennas installed in the country. In total, 815 cities are transmitting the signal. São Paulo is the location with the largest number of stations: 6,363.

In the opinion of digital law specialist Mario Paiva, it is necessary to recognize that the arrival of the 5G network represents a significant milestone in the communications scenario.

“5G technology is a revolution. It has arrived, it is authorized, and its dynamism must be implemented as quickly as possible in all regions, because it brings prosperity to the economy and progress to all of Brazil. Therefore, it must be one of the most important goals of the government, companies, and professionals to adapt as much as possible,” he emphasizes.

But still, Paiva highlights the need to install a greater number of antennas, especially in hard-to-reach locations.

“In some places, we can’t transmit data because the signal is bad, because the speed is bad and then you can’t even carry out activities. So we’re saying here that signals are still bad, because there are few antennas in certain areas,” he points out.

Advances

According to the Ministry of Communications, signal coverage increases every month, monitored by Anatel. Following the schedule stipulated by the 5G Notice – which established the bidding rules establishing commitments for all cities in the country to have full signal by the end of 2029 – 506 more Brazilian municipalities had their internet signal released to all providers that acquired the lots in the 3.5 GHz band.

With this release, there are now 4,808 municipalities with the signal available for use by standalone 5G stations – at its greatest potential – which corresponds to just over 92% of the population of Brazil.

For Frank Ned Santa Cruz, a lawyer and master in Risk Management and Artificial Intelligence from the University of Brasília (UnB), people can celebrate the arrival of the new technology, but transmission needs to happen equally throughout Brazil. He understands that society will only notice and feel the changes of the new mobile network if the signal is satisfactory for everyone.

“Even in locations where 5G is already available, there is still a high level of network unavailability. Of course, these are issues that will be resolved over time, but this creates a perception of inefficiency and user dissatisfaction,” he points out.

Accessibility for all

When assessing the scenario, digital law specialist Mario Paiva believes that the arrival of 5G is a revolution that must be implemented as quickly as possible in all regions to bring these advances to the entire society.

“If you have to send a document in a minute, with 5G you can send it in seconds. And this will save time, electricity, energy, expenses, and employee overtime. So, speed brings a series of savings. And one of the main ones is data transmission, which is infinitely greater. The amount of data and the time that this data will be transported,” he highlights.

According to Anatel, all Brazilian cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants currently have at least one operator offering the signal. According to the agency’s superintendent of concessions, Vinicius Caram, the expectation is that all municipalities will be covered by the new mobile network by the final phase. However, he believes that more efforts are needed for this to happen.

“We have challenges so that cities, all cities, not just the 600, are covered and densified to have 100% coverage, but so that operators can activate and maintain this pace of investment activation in the country to have returns and so that the 5,570 municipalities come to have this technology as soon as possible”, he highlights.