THE Anatel made available a new platform that consolidates information about cell phone operators’ antennas. The new panel shows that Brazil has 101,300 base stations, and the TIM is the operator with the largest number of infrastructures compared to clear and Alive.
With the new panel SMP stations, it is possible to make different cuts on the infrastructures licensed by cellular operators. For example: the frequency with the largest number of antennas is 1,800 MHz; there are 69,400 antennas that use this spectrum, of which 50,800 provide the signal using 4G technology.
The tool can also be useful to discover the addresses of cellular antennas, as well as the frequency used and technologies available by each operator in a given city or state.
The dashboard allows you to compare infrastructure between different operators. Currently, TIM leads the first place in stations with 39.5 thousand antennas, ahead of Vivo (33 thousand) and Claro (27.9 thousand). The data already consider the assets acquired from Oi Móvel.
It is also possible to make clippings by technology. TIM has 4G active in 43 thousand antennas; Vivo at 29.2 thousand; and Claro has fourth-generation infrastructure in 23,700 towers.
At the 5G, which finally reached all Brazilian capitals, TIM also occupies the leadership with 3,097 licensed antennas, followed by Claro (1,665) and Vivo (1,627). The 3.5 GHz frequency is the most used by fifth generation services, followed by the 700 MHz and 2.1 GHz bands, with the standard 5G DSS.
Pretend surprise: São Paulo is the state that most concentrates cell phone antennas in Brazil. Operators maintain 23,800 base stations, more than double the number installed in Minas Gerais, which occupies the 2nd place.
In the state of SP, TIM has 10.1 thousand antennas, ahead of Vivo (7.1 thousand) and Claro (6.5 thousand). In São Paulo, TIM also leads the number of stations, and the most used frequency is 2.5 GHz.
The tool also allows finding some “inequalities” in the distribution of infrastructure. Alone, the DF has 2,348 antennas; therefore, the district concentrates more stations than the sum of antennas licensed for the states of Acre, Amazonas, Amapá and Roraima.
2.3 GHz frequency is still little used
During the 5G auction, Anatel also bid for the 2.3 GHz frequency. With blocks divided into regions, Claro, TIM, Vivo, Algar and Brisanet won licenses:
| Frequency of 2.3 GHz | 50 MHz block | 40 MHz block |
|---|---|---|
| North | clear | Alive |
| São Paulo (except Algar areas) | clear | Alive |
| North East | Brisanet | (nobody bought) |
| Midwest (except Algar areas) | clear | Alive |
| South | clear | TIM |
| RJ, ES and MG (except Algar areas) | Alive | TIM |
| Areas of Algar | clear | algar |
The 2.3 GHz frequency allows companies to launch their pure 5G services without relying on the 3.5 GHz spectrum, whose release depends on the band cleaning process with the migration of open satellite TV users.
The spectrum was released for use in 2021, but operators have made little progress in using 2.3 GHz, which can be used for both 4G and 5G. So far, only 728 stations with the frequency have been licensed across Brazil.
Claro is the operator that most used this spectrum: there are 411 licensed stations, of which 330 use 5G technology and 81 with 4G. Vivo appears next with 278 licensed stations, 187 with 5G and 91 with 4G.
With the right to operate only in the South and part of the Southeast, TIM is the major operator that least used the 2.3 GHz spectrum: there are only 77 licensed antennas, of which 73 use 4G and only four with 5G.
https://tecnoblog.net/noticias/2022/10/19/essa-ferramenta-da-anatel-mostra-a-situacao-de-antenas-de-celular-no-brasil/