Smaller cities sign a partnership to have 5G before the deadline set by Anatel

The Ministry of Communications and Abdi (Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development) signed a partnership that promises to break the 5G network installation schedule by operators so that smaller cities skip the queue defined by Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) and have the service before more populous ones.

Called Conecta5G, the partnership allows city halls to close an agreement for the installation of 5G antennas through an adaptation in the lighting of poles.

Five cities have already joined the program that will be launched this Thursday (16) by the Minister of Communications, Fábio Faria (PSD-RN), in Natal, capital of his state. Also part of the program Curitiba (PR), Ceará-Mirim (RN), Petrolina (PE), Araguaína (TO) and Jaraguá do Sul (SC).

The 5G poles of these locations will undergo an adaptation. Nokia, one of the main 5G equipment manufacturers around the world, and Juganu have developed a technology that embeds Qualcomm’s 5G chips in light bulbs.

This solution was developed exclusively by this group of companies for the project sponsored by Abdi. In this first phase, the 5G service will be provided on the 3.7 GHz (gigahertz) and 27.9 GHz frequencies.

The technological solution, sponsored by Abdi, transforms street lighting lamps into cell phone antennas that spread the 5G signal as Wi-Fi.

In this way, mayors can use municipal funds currently earmarked specifically for public lighting to purchase this equipment and offer fifth-generation internet.

This exit still works as a swindle of the current municipal laws that impose restrictions on the installation of cellular antennas. Although Congress has approved the General Law of Antennas, municipalities still need to adapt their local laws to the new legal regulation.

Although the government has auctioned the 5G licenses, the telecoms will face difficulties in the construction of networks because many capitals still make it difficult to release the works.

According to reports from people who participate in this project, in conversations with Abdi, many mayors are interested in the partnership, with an eye on the next elections. They want to be the first to launch 5G in their political stronghold.

In addition, city halls will be able to generate ancillary revenues by renting their antennas, inside the lighting fixtures, to mobile phone operators.

According to the rules defined by Anatel, telecoms will have to build their fifth-generation networks starting in the capitals. The service will start to be provided until July 2022. Afterwards, the operators will depart for cities with more than 500 thousand inhabitants. At this rate, the service will reach locations with less than 30,000 inhabitants in 2029.

The idea with the partnership is that city halls build their cable and fiber optic networks and may even offer this infrastructure to operators that purchased the 5G frequencies in the auction held in early November.