Brazilian ISP-turned-cellco Brisanet has revealed that it plans to invest BRL550 million (US$112.5 million) in the expansion of its mobile network in 2024, with a view to covering a total of 14 million people by December 2024. The company invested BRL279 million in its 5G deployment in 2022 and is on track for investment of BRL200 million this year (up from BRL102 million in the year-to-date).
As per the terms of its 5G licence, Brisanet is committed to activating fifth-generation mobile services in 1,437 cities with less than 30,000 inhabitants between 2026 and 2029. Speaking at a press conference to discuss the company’s 3Q23 results, CEO Jose Roberto Nogueira noted that Brisanet is optimistic of fulfilling all regulatory requirements before the end of 2026. ‘Brisanet is not seeing the commitment as a burden,’ he stated.
Brisanet switched on 4G/5G connectivity in August this year using the 2.3GHz band and currently offers mobile access to around one million people across 24 cities. The company expects to cover five million people in 40 municipalities by end-2023.