Carla Simoes, Crayton Harrison – Bloomberg, 08/23/2012
Brazil’s government is considering an auction by December 2013 of airwaves that are held today by television broadcasters and would be converted for use with 4G wireless services.
The airwaves in the 700-megahertz spectrum band would be freed up by June 2016 after TV networks such as Globo Comunicacao e Participacoes SA and Grupo Record complete their switch to digital broadcasts, said Joao Rezende, president of Brazil’s phone regulatory agency, known as Anatel. Broadcasters must make the transition under a June 2006 presidential decree.
Anatel plans to conclude studies defining the use of the airwaves by the end of this year, Rezende said yesterday in a phone interview from Curitiba, Brazil. Once that process is complete, the agency and the Communications Ministry will put together an auction plan.
