Over 270 Brazilian municipalities pass antennas-friendly legislation

Over 270 Brazilian municipalities, concentrating around 36% of the country's population, updated their antennas legislation to facilitate telecoms infrastructure deployment, specifically for 5G.

That’s according to Movimento Antene-se, a lobby group created in 2021 by local telcos to convince municipal regulators about the need to revise regulations for permitting and installing antennas.

Telcos and tower companies have long been calling for a national antenna installation blueprint, particularly for cities, to fully apply the federal antennas law passed in 2015. The carriers also referenced a benchmark bill drafted by regulator Anatel as a template.

“We will continue the debate with municipalities in a transparent way. The use of Anatel's standard bill is essential to maintain the concepts and definitions discussed with the agency and the communications ministry, major partners in the preparation and distribution of the text,” Antene-se head and president of telecoms infrastructure association Abrintel, Luciano Stutz, said in a statement.

In an interview with BNamericas last year, Stutz said Brazil’s telecom tower industry is expected to invest around 6bn reais (US$1.16bn) by 2025, a period that comprises the first cycle of 5G.

The group has contacted more than 500 municipalities and established a partnership with the national municipalities confederation (CNM) to support localities that need to update their antenna laws.

For 2023, the goal is to continue expanding the list of municipalities with updated laws so that they translate into increased connectivity, Antene-se said. 

This week, electric-electronics association Abinee announced it was joining Antene-se.

ANTENNAS PARK

At present, seven mobile carriers have deployed around 87,580 antennas throughout Brazil. Telefônica has some 32,860, TIM 30,290, Claro 23,590, Algar 726, Sercomtel 48, Brisanet 45 and Ligue Telecom 12.

Of total antennas, 50,300 transmit 2G signal, 68,540 are 3G, 79,700 are 4G and nearly 7,670 are 5G. One antenna can transmit signals of more than one technology.