According to Brazil Wireless Broadband and WiMAX Market Analysis, the latest report from Maravedis, 2010 could be the year for the Brazilian 4G market, with auctions expected for the 3.5 GHz, 2.5 GHz, 450 MHz bands and the remaining 3G spectrum. Drawing on in-depth interviews with Brazilian operators and regulator Anatel, the report provides a detailed look at the broadband wireless market and regulatory activity.

Mobile services have been a tremendous success in the country, with 168 million mobile users out of a population of 192 million inhabitants. The predominant technology is GSM with 151 million subscribers, followed by CDMA and WCDMA with 8.4 million and 3.5 million, respectively.

The report’s author Cintia Garza, Senior Analyst for Latin America, stated, “As the largest market in Latin America, Brazil offers attractive opportunities for 4G operators. Demand for wireless broadband access is intensifying, but lack of sufficient spectrum has delayed many commercial network deployments. With two public consultations held in 2009 for 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz spectrum allocation, Anatel could release spectrum for the development of 4G this year.”

She added, “At present, WiMAX activity in Brazil has taken place in 3.5 GHz only, with Neovia and Embratel leading the market. The driven applications are high-speed Internet and VoIP provided, mainly to address the needs of the small-medium enterprises and multi-dwelling units markets.”