Brazil Completes 700 MHz Spectrum Auction with Regional Licences Awarded to Amazônia, Brisanet, Unifique and IEZ!
Brazil has completed a major regional spectrum auction in the 700 MHz band, assigning new low-band mobile frequencies to four telecommunications operators across five geographic areas of the country.
The auction, conducted by the Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) under Licitação nº 1/2026-SOR/SPR/CD-ANATEL, covered the paired frequency ranges 708–718 MHz and 763–773 MHz. All five regional lots offered in the first round were successfully awarded, eliminating the need to proceed to the alternative second and third auction rounds.
Amazônia Serviços Digitais e Telecomunicações secured the licence covering Brazil's North Region together with São Paulo. Brisanet acquired two separate licences covering the Northeast and Center-West. Unifique obtained the South Region, while IEZ! Telecom secured the area comprising Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais.
Brazil 700 MHz Spectrum Auction Results
| Lot | Operator | Service Area | Frequency Assignment | Bandwidth | Winning Bid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Amazônia Serviços Digitais e Telecomunicações S.A. | North Region and São Paulo | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz | R$7,010,114.86 |
| A2 | Brisanet Serviços de Telecomunicações S.A. | Northeast Region | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz | R$6,275,100.00 |
| A3 | Brisanet Serviços de Telecomunicações S.A. | Center-West Region | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz | R$1,853,280.00 |
| A4 | Unifique Telecomunicações S.A. | South Region | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz | R$3,418,493.29 |
| A5 | IEZ! Telecom Ltda. | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz | R$4,430,492.86 |
The five winning bids total approximately R$23 million. Unlike spectrum auctions structured primarily to maximize government revenue, however, the financial bids represent only a relatively small part of the overall economic value associated with the process. The auction was designed around extensive mandatory network investment and coverage commitments estimated at approximately R$2 billion.
Amazônia Secures North Region and São Paulo 700 MHz Licence
Amazônia Serviços Digitais e Telecomunicações received Lot A1, covering the North Region together with the State of São Paulo under the geographic structure established by Anatel.
The company submitted the largest individual financial bid of the auction at R$7,010,114.86. The amount corresponded to the minimum price established for the lot, and there was no additional premium above that reserve value.
| Operator | Lot | Region | Minimum Price | Winning Bid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazônia Serviços Digitais | A1 | North Region + São Paulo | R$7,010,114.86 | R$7,010,114.86 |
The A1 area is the geographically largest licence awarded in the process. Access to 700 MHz spectrum provides the operator with a low-band coverage resource that can complement higher-frequency spectrum already available for mobile broadband deployment.
Brisanet Wins Two Regional 700 MHz Licences
Brisanet was the only participant to secure two lots in the first auction round, extending its low-band spectrum position across both the Northeast and Center-West regions.
For Lot A2, covering the Northeast, Brisanet submitted a winning proposal of R$6,275,100.00 against a minimum price of R$6,275,099.96.
The company also won Lot A3 for the Center-West with a bid of R$1,853,280.00. The minimum price for this licence was R$1,853,279.19.
| Lot | Region | Winning Bid | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2 | Northeast | R$6,275,100.00 | Brisanet |
| A3 | Center-West | R$1,853,280.00 | Brisanet |
Combined, the two licences cost Brisanet approximately R$8.13 million in direct spectrum payments. More importantly, they give the company access to the same 2 × 10 MHz low-band channel configuration across two large geographic markets.
Unifique Obtains 700 MHz Spectrum Across Southern Brazil
Unifique Telecomunicações secured Lot A4, corresponding to Brazil's South Region. Its winning bid was R$3,418,493.29, exactly matching the minimum price established for the licence.
The new allocation covers the paired 708–718 MHz and 763–773 MHz frequencies throughout the applicable southern service area. The licence gives Unifique additional low-frequency resources that can support broader mobile coverage and improve propagation in rural and indoor environments.
| Operator | Service Area | Frequency | Bandwidth | Winning Bid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unifique | South Region | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz | R$3,418,493.29 |
IEZ! Telecom Wins Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais
IEZ! Telecom was awarded Lot A5, covering Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais within the geographic boundaries established by the auction rules.
The company submitted a proposal of R$4,430,492.86, equal to the minimum price for the lot.
| Operator | Service Area | Frequency | Bandwidth | Winning Bid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IEZ! Telecom | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz | R$4,430,492.86 |
The award introduces an additional low-band spectrum resource into IEZ!'s mobile network portfolio and gives the operator frequencies suitable for extending service beyond densely populated urban locations.
Exact Spectrum Awarded: 708–718 MHz Paired with 763–773 MHz
Each of the five first-round licences provides 2 × 10 MHz of paired FDD spectrum.
| Frequency Component | Range | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|
| Uplink | 708–718 MHz | 10 MHz |
| Downlink | 763–773 MHz | 10 MHz |
| Total paired spectrum per regional licence | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz |
Because the licences cover separate geographic territories, the same frequency block can be reused by different operators in different parts of Brazil. The auction therefore distributed regional usage rights rather than dividing the 20 MHz of paired spectrum into five different frequency blocks.
Why 700 MHz Is Important for Mobile Coverage in Brazil
The 700 MHz band has propagation characteristics that make it especially useful for wide-area mobile coverage. Signals at these frequencies generally travel farther from a base station than higher-frequency mobile bands and can penetrate buildings and other physical obstacles more effectively.
These characteristics are particularly relevant in Brazil, where operators must provide connectivity across very large geographic areas containing rural communities, highways and locations with comparatively low population density.
The band can support modern mobile broadband technologies and provides a coverage layer that complements higher-frequency spectrum used primarily for network capacity. This combination allows operators to use low-band frequencies to extend geographic reach while relying on additional spectrum bands where greater traffic capacity is required.
A Regional Auction Designed to Increase Mobile Competition
The 2026 licensing model differed from a conventional national spectrum auction. Anatel structured the process to give regional mobile operators priority access to the remaining 700 MHz frequencies.
The first round consisted of five regional lots of 2 × 10 MHz. Participation in this stage was reserved for qualifying regional operators holding primary regional spectrum rights in the 3.5 GHz range.
| Auction Round | Lots | Block Size | Participation Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Round | A1–A5 | 2 × 10 MHz | Priority for qualifying regional 3.5 GHz operators |
| Second Round | A6–A15 | 2 × 5 MHz | Alternative regional allocation if first-round spectrum remained unsold |
| Third Round | A16–A25 | 2 × 5 MHz | Broader participation if spectrum still remained available |
If a first-round regional licence had remained unsold, the corresponding 2 × 10 MHz block would have been divided into two smaller 2 × 5 MHz licences for the next stage.
That contingency was not required. All five 2 × 10 MHz first-round lots were successfully awarded, and the remaining alternative lots A6 through A25 were therefore disabled.
Five Regional Areas Cover the Majority of Brazil
Anatel divided the available spectrum into five regional licence areas for the successful first-round assignments.
| Lot | Geographic Area | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | North Region and São Paulo | Amazônia Serviços Digitais |
| A2 | Northeast Region | Brisanet |
| A3 | Center-West Region | Brisanet |
| A4 | South Region | Unifique |
| A5 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais | IEZ! Telecom |
The precise regulatory boundaries contain several exclusions associated with sectors defined under Brazil's General Concessions Plan, but the five areas broadly correspond to the regional divisions above.
Licences Remain Valid Until December 2044
The frequency authorizations issued through the auction are aligned with Brazil's other 700 MHz mobile spectrum rights and remain valid until 8 December 2044.
This common expiry date aligns the new regional assignments with existing licences in the band and provides the successful companies with a long-term framework for infrastructure deployment and network planning.
Around R$2 Billion in Coverage Investments
Although the direct financial bids totaled only around R$23 million, the auction was primarily structured around mandatory network investment rather than spectrum revenue.
Anatel expects approximately R$2 billion to be invested through the coverage obligations attached to the licences. The commitments are intended to extend mobile broadband into areas where commercial deployment has historically been more difficult to justify.
The programme targets hundreds of underserved localities as well as thousands of kilometres of federal highways that currently lack reliable mobile broadband coverage.
864 Underserved Localities to Receive Mobile Broadband
Under the coverage programme, the winning operators are expected to bring mobile service using 4G technology or a later generation to 864 previously underserved localities.
Anatel estimates that around 680,000 people living in smaller communities will benefit from the additional connectivity.
The obligations focus particularly on non-municipal-seat localities with more than 600 inhabitants that currently lack adequate 4G coverage. Deployment obligations are distributed across the five regional licences according to the geographic areas awarded to each operator.
| Lot | Region | Localities Included in Coverage Commitments |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | North + São Paulo | 365 |
| A2 | Northeast | 215 |
| A3 | Center-West | 65 |
| A4 | South | 94 |
| A5 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais | 125 |
| Total | - | 864 |
Approximately 6,500 Kilometres of Federal Highways to Gain Coverage
The licences also contain commitments to extend mobile connectivity along approximately 6,500 kilometres of federal highways where adequate service is currently unavailable.
The road-coverage programme includes sections of major transport corridors such as BR-101, BR-116, BR-135, BR-163, BR-242 and BR-364.
| Lot | Region | Approximate Highway Coverage Commitment |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | North + São Paulo | 3,315 km |
| A2 | Northeast | 831 km |
| A3 | Center-West | 1,786 km |
| A4 | South | 284 km |
| A5 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais | 255 km |
| Total | - | Approximately 6,471 km |
Improving highway connectivity has implications beyond conventional consumer mobile usage. Continuous coverage can improve access to emergency communications, logistics systems, navigation services and connected applications used by commercial transport operators.
BR-101 Receives Priority in the 2026 Rollout
The BR-101 federal highway has been established as the priority road within the first stage of the licence commitments.
For the successful A1–A5 first-round licences, the operators are required to complete coverage of the applicable priority BR-101 sections by the end of 2026.
The wider rollout then continues progressively through 2030 as operators complete the remaining locality and highway commitments.
Coverage Obligations Run Through 2030
| Deadline | First-Round A1–A5 Coverage Requirement |
|---|---|
| 31 December 2026 | At least 20% of required localities and 100% of priority BR-101 sections |
| 31 December 2027 | At least 40% of applicable locality and highway commitments |
| 31 December 2028 | At least 60% of applicable commitments |
| 31 December 2029 | At least 80% of applicable commitments |
| 31 December 2030 | 100% of applicable locality and highway commitments |
The staged deployment timetable gives operators several years to build out the required infrastructure while creating measurable annual milestones for Anatel to monitor.
Final Auction Result Formally Homologated in May 2026
The auction session producing the five winning bids took place on 4 May 2026. Anatel subsequently completed its administrative review of the process before formally confirming the awards.
An administrative challenge submitted by TIM concerned the eligibility and award of Lot A1 to Amazônia Serviços Digitais. Anatel's Board of Directors rejected the appeal and maintained the original result.
On 21 May 2026, Acórdão nº 138 formally homologated the adjudication of Lots A1 through A5. The successful companies were subsequently called to sign their spectrum authorization terms and complete the required payments and execution guarantees.
Summary of Brazil's 2026 Regional 700 MHz Spectrum Awards
| Operator | Region | Spectrum | Bandwidth | Winning Bid | Authorization Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazônia Serviços Digitais | North + São Paulo | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz | R$7.01 million | 8 December 2044 |
| Brisanet | Northeast | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz | R$6.28 million | 8 December 2044 |
| Brisanet | Center-West | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz | R$1.85 million | 8 December 2044 |
| Unifique | South | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz | R$3.42 million | 8 December 2044 |
| IEZ! Telecom | RJ, ES and MG | 708–718 / 763–773 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz | R$4.43 million | 8 December 2044 |
Outlook for Brazil's 700 MHz Mobile Networks
The 2026 auction puts previously available 700 MHz spectrum back into productive use while expanding access to low-band frequencies among regional mobile operators.
The outcome is particularly significant because the spectrum was awarded through a model focused less on immediate public revenue and more on infrastructure deployment. The approximately R$23 million paid directly for the regional licences is small compared with the roughly R$2 billion of investment commitments associated with the auction.
For Amazônia Serviços Digitais, Brisanet, Unifique and IEZ!, the new 700 MHz holdings provide an additional coverage layer that can complement their existing higher-frequency resources. For consumers and businesses in underserved areas, the more important measure of the auction's success will be whether those spectrum rights translate into new coverage across rural communities and federal highways.
With the first deployment targets already applying in 2026 and the complete coverage programme scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2030, the auction begins a multi-year expansion of regional mobile infrastructure across Brazil.
Full spectrum allocation details for Brazil are available here: https://www.spectrum-tracker.com/Brazil