Brazil telecom watchdog sees COVID-19 boosting broadband usage, admits delay in 5G auction

SAO PAULO: Brazil’s broadband service usage has grew by between 40% and 50% amid the coronavirus pandemic, the president of telecoms watchdog Anatel said on Friday, admitting for the first time that social distancing measures to curb the outbreak may ultimately delay the 5G auction schedule.

“The pandemic certainly has an impact on the auction schedule and also in the 5G supply chain in the short-term,” Anatel’s president Leonardo Euler de Morais said in a webcast held by local think tank Alianca Conecta Brasil F4. “In the long run, however, the pandemic fuels 5G deployment and fiber expansion by testing the importance of digital solutions,” he added.