Nine out of ten Brazilians have access to mobile telephony

Nine out of ten Brazilians have access to mobile telephony, telecom authority Anatel reported on Saturday (Apr. 5), Telecommunications Day.

Most Brazilians with access to mobile telephony live in capital cities and metropolitan regions, the survey adds.

The data show that 4,363 of Brazil’s 5,565 municipalities have fiber optic infrastructure, making services faster, more stable, and more energy-efficient.

Anatel also highlights the introduction of 5G technology in 1,300 Brazilian cities, and is placing its bets on the progress of the government’s New Growth Acceleration Program—or New PAC—which covers the implementation of 5G in the country’s 5,565 municipalities.

The New PAC also includes the expansion of 4G to 6,800 villages and rural areas far from urban centers.

In a statement, Anatel Telecommunications Secretary Hermano Tercius said the expansion of telecom services in Brazil faces challenges due to the country’s extension and hard-to-reach areas. “The main challenge is to bring connectivity in a satisfactory way, at the same time as we make progress in other indicators of significant connectivity, like digital literacy,” he noted.

Consumer satisfaction

In March, Anatel disclosed the results of the tenth edition of its survey on satisfaction and the quality perceived for landline telephony, mobile telephony, wired internet, and pay-TV.

In 2024, more than two-thirds of the consumers surveyed said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the service provided, according to the customer satisfaction score. Meanwhile, over 10 percent of consumers said they were very dissatisfied or dissatisfied.

The questionnaire also covers consumer usage patterns, Wi-Fi, and landlines.

On the most frequently used cellular network technology, even though 4G is the most frequently used, more than 64 percent of post-paid cellular consumers and 67 percent of pre-paid consumers believe there has been an increase in 5G use.

As for the technology used to provide wired internet, 78 percent use optical fiber.

Of the landline users interviewed, 16 percent said that the landline was their main means of making voice calls at home. These users are the oldest in the group, have the lowest average income, and are mostly female.

Finally, 67 percent of those interviewed who subscribe to pay-TV said they use the service on a daily basis.

The survey was carried out from July to November 2024 with 64 thousand consumers of wired and mobile telephony, wired internet, and pay-TV services.