São Paulo unveils 5G, at first for 25% of urban area

São Paulo, the largest and most populous city in Brazil, is launching its 5G signal today (Aug 4). The activation comes as a result of the number of requests for the installation of 5G antennas, which exceeded by far the prediction in the tender, the country’s telecom authority Anatel reported.

In the first phase, a minimum of 462 stations should be activated by September 29. However, the regulatory agency had received 1,378 requests for licenses in the 3.5 GHz band by Tuesday—nearly three times the number of antennas that were to be installed in the city by the end of the year.

Urban area

At first, the 5G signal should cover 25 percent of the urban area of São Paulo. Antennas are mostly concentrated is in the Historical Center and the Paulista Avenue region, the city’s business center.

Equipment has been installed to prevent interference at 226 fixed-satellite service stations and tests have been conducted to confirm interference-free performance, Anatel stated.

5G can be up to 20 times faster than 4G. The activation of the technology in São Paulo comes following its arrival in the Brazilian cities of Brasília, Belo Horizonte, João Pessoa, and Porto Alegre.