By Alberto Alerigi
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian telecoms regulator Anatel has scheduled the country’s auction of fifth generation (5G) mobile spectrum for Nov. 4, Communications Minister Fabio Faria said on Friday on Twitter.
Telecom regulator Anatel had interrupted the analysis of the rules for the auction on Sept. 13 and took the decision in an extraordinary meeting on Friday, the minister said.
Last week, Faria said Sao Paulo and other large Brazilian cities will have 5G networks working by the end of the year and all state capitals will have the technology by July 2022.
The 5G auction will be the largest spectrum auction ever managed by Anatel. The Brazilian government expects companies to pay up to 45 billion reais ($8.5 billion) for the operating licenses for four different frequencies to be auctioned.
($1 = 5.3317 reais)
(Reporting by Alberto Alerigi, additional reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia; Writing by Tatiana Bautzer; Editing by Brad Haynes and Chris Reese)
