RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Heavy industry, commodity production and Brazilian agribusiness will see an increase in productivity with the arrival of 5G technology in Brazil.
The assessment was made yesterday, June 29, by Minister of Communications Fabio Faria during the Mobile World Congress 2021 in Barcelona. The meeting was part of the GSMA Ministerial Program – an event that gathers Ministers, telecom regulators, data protection authorities and representatives from large organizations in the sector.
According to Faria, who presented the “5G Innovation and Investment” panel, the frequency auction in Brazil, which will take place in the second half of 2021, will boost the global economy.
To this end, the Minister said that continued investment in the telecommunications sector is necessary.
“5G applications will help us increase Brazilian productivity in sectors where we hold a significant international share, such as iron ore, soy, animal protein, coffee, machinery, and aircraft,” Faria said.
During the lecture, the Minister again advocated the expansion of telecommunications and digital signal in Brazil.
According to Fabio Faria, the so-called digital desert – the Brazilian area with no fast internet coverage and no access to digital TV signal – is an obstacle to the country’s socio-economic development, which should be solved with the solutions proposed in the 5G frequency auction.
Internet across Brazil
In addition to the economic impacts, Faria stressed the importance of the 5G auction to expand connectivity in the country and overcome the digital desert. Among the requirements for bidders is the deployment of 4G technology across the entire country.
Among other goals, the auction foresees investments to expand broadband coverage to over 2,500 indigenous communities and 48,000 kilometers of federal highways.
“From the auction we will also implement a fiber optic system to serve communities in the Amazon and provide a secure private network for the government,” the Minister said.
According to the Ministry of Communications’ projections, the adoption of 5G will increase the number of mobile devices connected to the Internet of Things from 30 million to 100 million by 2023 – a figure that translates into greater automation of services and expansion of connectivity technology between mobile devices and electronics in general.
According to GSMA estimates, 5G is expected to add US$2.2 trillion to the global economy over the next 14 years due to the digital benefits it will provide to sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare and public services.