4 g already is the leading mobile communication technology in Brazil

Sao Paulo-the 4 g may have already exceeded the number of 3 g users, thus becoming the main mobile communication technology in the domestic market just over four years after the arrival in Brazil. In 2017 the service coverage has been the flagship of investment for telcos.
The Overdrive should be confirmed as soon as the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) disclose the balance of mobile telephony in the month of October; in September the difference between 3 g and 4 g was only 4 million (95.4 million against 91.4 million), in 6 million reduction front. Already in January the difference between the two technologies was 50 million.
"If she did not pass the 3 g in October for sure this occurred in November. Let's get 2018 with the 4 g as the core technology, "said the President of the consulting firm specializing Teleco, Eduardo Tude. Considering the schedule of arrival and consolidation of 5 g, All estimates that 4 g follow as the country's most popular technology for at least seven years. "The population adhered to mobility. The success of the 4 g was the consequence ", the senior partner of the consulting firm 4Grid, Wagner Heibel, highlighting the popularity of apps-especially the video consumption as the main element for the explosion in demand, combined with the fall in the price of equipment encouraged, among others factors, for exemption of government policies.
The experts heard by the DCI, however, recognize that the technology has not yet reached the full potential advocated by industry years ago; second report made by independent company OpenSignal in June, the availability of the Brazilian is 55.2% 4.
For Heibel one of the problems is in the ecosystem of antennas, which evolved not on required speed due to bureaucratic obstacles. "The ideal would be to multiply the number of antennas for four," says partner 4Grid.
"What has slowed down a little is the delay of the release of the 700 MHz", complete All. Ideal for 4 g, the track is being cleared at Talbot as the analogue tv signal is switched off in the cities. According to information submitted by Anatel to DCI yesterday, 3,489 municipalities already have the 700 MHz ready for 4 g.
The State capital is not one of them: in this case the 700 MHz will only be released in the second half of 2018 because it depends on the success of the analog shutdown in regions such as Santos, Campinas or the Valley of Paraiba, who started the process yesterday (29). Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte also don't have the 700 MHz ready.
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Both Alive as TIM can be called 4 g leadership in Brazil, but from distinct parameters. While the Phone company has a share greater access (33.8% in September against 27.1% 22.1% of TIM, of course, 15.7% and 1.1% of Oi from Nextel), Italian-brazilian carrier has service present in more cities: 2,551, of which almost included 1,296 over 2017 .
"We made a very strong expansion. Our focus is the 4 g and it's going to stay that way for years to come, "said the Manager of the TIM network in Sao Paulo, Gabriel Lake. In the State with the main economy of the country already have 4 g carrier in 569 of 645 cities. In this case, the output found by the company and by the industry as a whole was direct to the availability of the technology supporting the 2 g or 3 g while the 700 MHz is not ready.
"The amount of monthly data that a customer 4 g uses is two to three times higher than the 3 g user," said Lake, noting that the customer "is use more data" as they realize an improvement in quality of service. The end of the third quarter to TIM already had more hits 4 g than 3 g (24.8 million against 21.6 million).
Vivo ended with 2016 4 g available in 516 cities; from then on 1,677 municipalities were included, a total of 2,193 coverage last Friday. "Our goal for the year was to overcome the 2000. What came after that is the result of the effort, "said the Director of mobile engineering Alive, Attila white. In September the company had grown to 30.9 million mobile lines 4 g.
According to white, the availability of 4 g in new towns is a process often complex, with "onerous and bureaucratic procedures" on municipal level. "A city covered today is the result of a work that began a year ago. Passed this barrier, the 4 g will be vital also in the rise of the internet of things. "The IoT should explode in 5 g, but will start in the 4 g".
The Clear 4 g coverage is available in 1,296 cities (the company started 2016 with 598), or 81.4% of the population. Nextel has its own coverage in 34 municipalities in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro State; According to the carrier, in Rio 91% of the customer base has already been converted. In Algar technology is available in 24 cities. After taking the decision not to buy 700 Mhz bands in 2014, Oi counted 284 coverage in October. For All the difference to the rivals "didn't weigh much, but still will weigh going forward", anticipates.