On July 17th, the Brazilian National Telecommunications Agency (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações - ANATEL) approved the draft of the public bid notice relating to the 700 MHz frequency for fourth generation mobile services (4G).
The minimum bid prices will be disclosed only with the publication of the final version of the public notice, whose draft is still being evaluated by the Federal Audit Court (Tribunal de Contas da União - TCU). The document will also set the maximum amount that bid winners will have to spend to "clean" the 700 MHz frequency, currently occupied by analogue broadcasting signals.
The TCU will also establish the amounts for mitigating any interference in the signals and for the purchase of digital TV converters for approximately 13 million households listed in the “Bolsa Família” program.
According to the draft public notice, three lots will be offered for the rendering of services throughout the entire Brazilian territory, and other three with a regional coverage.
The draft states that, in the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, due to the greater complexity of spectrum use, the operation of 4G should begin 12 months after the "cleaning" of the frequency in all other cities of the corresponding State. In other parts of the country, where the spectrum use is less complex, the period of 12 months applies individually to each city.
The date has not been confirmed, but the public bid is expected to occur in early September.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
