Brazil’s market for mobile virtual network operators may have at least three players after French mobile virtual network enabler Sisteer was granted a license to operate as an MVNx by Brazilian telecommunications regulator Anatel.
Sisteer was awarded the full authorization to operate as an MVNO, which from Anatel’s perspective gives Sisteer the ability to implement a full MVNE platform and manage an entire value chain. Thanks to the license, the French company will be able to operate all the technical and operational components required to commercialize MVNO offerings in Brazil.
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Sisteer CEO Alain Bureau said the license validates the company’s decision to enter the Brazilian market and represents an important milestone in Sisteer’s international expansion.
In April, Sisteer entered a partnership with the wireless carrier TIM Brazil to provide MVNO outsourcing services in Brazil. Under terms of the agreement, TIM Brazil agreed to give Sisteer the ability to host MVNOs on its platform and to provide Sisteer with a variety of mobile services such as domestic and international prepaid and postpaid calls, SMS and data.
Paris-based Sisteer was created in 2002 as an outsourcing service provider for alternative operators mainly in Europe and Africa. Currently, the company has three subsidiaries — operating in Brazil, Hong-Kong and Morocco — and a total of 60 employees. Sisteer’s Brazilian subsidiary was launched in 2009. In 2011, the company’s MVNE activity included 30 MVNOs on the SFR and Orange networks, accounting for a total of 2 million SIM cards.
MVNOs in Brazil
Brazilian MVNO legislation was approved in November 2010 by Anatel. Porto Seguro, a security insurance company, was the first to announce its plans, followed by Sermatel.
The Virgin Group also disclosed that will act as an MVNO. The U.K.-based company has already granted licenses to operate in Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile, where Virgin signed an agreement with Telefónica’s Movistar.
In Porto Seguro’s case, insurance company is a accredited and will offers telecom services through agreements. MVNE Datora Telecom is in charged of the operation, traffic management, issuance of bills and interconnection agreements. TIM will provide the antennas and Porto Seguro Telecom will be responsible for customer service. Besides, Ericsson was chosen to develop and install all the telephony platform partnership between Datora Telecom and Porto Seguro.
