The 5G mobile telephony technology was launched today (Aug. 22) in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Vitória, Florianópolis, and Palmas. There are now 12 capitals with fifth-generation antennas for mobile devices in operation in the country.

Initially scheduled to be activated on August 29, the authorization for operators to start 5G operations in these cities was anticipated by the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel).

According to the rules of the 5G concession notice released in November, mobile telephony providers that acquired lots in the 3.5 GHz band must fulfill the first coverage requirement of the public notice by installing at least one 5G antenna for every group of 100,000 inhabitants in Brazilian capitals until September 29.

5G operations in Brazil started on July 6 in Brasilia. The deadline for the release of 5G in all Brazilian capitals was postponed to October 28, according to the country´s national telecom regulator Anatel.

The next generation of mobile internet - 5G technology - offers an average speed of 1 Gigabit (Gbps), ten times faster than 4G signal, with the possibility of reaching up to 20 Gbps. In addition, the signal has less latency (delay) in data transmission.

To have access to 5G technology, the client must have a chip and a device that is compatible with the connection and must be within the operator's coverage area as well. Anatel has certified and homologated 83 cell phone models to receive the 5G signal so far.