Brazil’s telco regulator Anatel concluded the auction last Friday which raised $1.27 billion but according to Faria that number was closer to $8.44 billion when including future capital expenditure commitment.
The auction was attended by President Jair Bolsonaro and organised by the Ministry of Communications and Anatel.
While Claro, Vivo and TIM all won big, there were batches of spectrum that did not attract interest at the event, mainly in the 26 GHz frequency. According to Faria and Anatel official Abraao Albino, this was because of uncertainties related to the business model.
Despite the unsold spectrum, Faria said the government considered the auction to be a success. Brazil now has six new telcos to compete with the larger companies.
Telecom Italia, Telefonica and America Movil won most of the spectrum rights through their Brazilian subsidiaries in the final part of the auction on Friday, with Algar Telecom also securing some.
