Page 26 - SAMENA ELITE - Jan-Mar 2024

INDUSTRY UPDATES
26 JAN-MAR 2024

Telefónica Goes Live with First 5G FWA Offering in Brazil

Brazil’s Telefónica|Vivo has commer- FWA product in August 2023, and with
cially launched its first 5G fixed-wire- larger monthly data allowances of
less access (FWA) product dubbed 200GB and 400GB. The country’s third
Vivo Box 5G. operator TIM Brasil also plans to roll
out FWA this year.
The operator currently provides one
subscription-based plan for the Vivo previously flagged the technol-
service, giving customers access to ogy as a way to complement its Vivo
150GB of data for BRL 150 (€28.14) per Fibra fixed offering while expanding its
month, plus an additional ten monthly reach in remote areas for consumers,
BRL 150 instalments for the necessary small businesses, and public institu-
Wi-Fi 6 router. The hardware allows tions (Telefónicawatch, #168).
up to 128 devices to connect
simultaneously. Vivo has trialled FWA technology over
the last three years, prior to Vivo Box
Vivo talked up the “easy” installation 5G’s launch. Notably, in October 2021,
process, saying the router does not the operator trialed 26GHz millimetre-
need “cables or technical assistance” wave (mmWave) spectrum to
from engineers to get working. analyse its potential use for ‘next-
generation’ services.
Users can return the router within
seven days if they decide to cancel The deployment reportedly saw Vivo Telefónica offers a similar service
their service early. Additionally, deploy the technology at two existing to Vivo Box 5G in Germany, with
customers can cancel within 15 days if facilities in Barra da Tijuca and Telefónica Deutschland’s (O2 Ger-
there is “failure of coverage”, provided Recreio, assessing the “performance many) O2 Homespot routers providing
that less than 250MB of data has and maturity of the technology, and internet connectivity over its 4G and
been used. also what types of services can be 5G networks, and tariffs with unlimited
launched”, according to Elmo Matos, monthly data volumes and transmis-
5G FWA rollout begins Director of Network Planning at the OB. sion speeds of up to 100Mbps.
While the offering is Telefónica’s first
5G FWA product in Brazil, the launch Focuses of the tests included FWA and O2 Germany also experimented with
makes Vivo the second operator to “applications aimed at the corporate FWA, initiating trials with Samsung in
enable the service in the country. market”. November 2018. The tests used
Rival Claro Brasil went live with its first mmWave spectrum, with equipment
comprising a virtual core and a 5G
radio access unit, as well as 5G
outdoor units and indoor routers to
customers. In February 2019, the pair
concluded that the technology
provided an “attractive alternative” to
existing DSL broadband without the
“time-consuming” fibre deployment
normally required.

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