In the beginning of November, the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro reported new rules for installing radio base stations sites. The city is establishing a series of stricter rules for telecom towers, both in public and private. To better understand the effect of these rules on Brazil’s telecom landscape, RCR Wireless News interviewed Eduardo Levy, executive director of SindiTelebrasil, the National Union of Telephone Companies and Service Mobile Phones and Personnel.
RCR Wireless News: How do you evaluate Rio’s new rules for towers?
Eduardo Levy: First of all, it is necessary to stress that Brazil activates one cellphone per second and one new broadband access (fixed, smartphone or 3D modems) each two seconds. This year will be the smartphone’s Christmas due to the large number of devices that is expected to be sold. The smartphone’s adoption is increasing at a rate of 70%. On the other hand, we see a huge increase on the concerns with the environment and people health, and we note that the growth of restriction. Despite being Brazil a federal country, each of 5,565 municipalities can create their own rules related to ground, land. Due to this autonomy, there are too many different laws, which increase the bureaucracy.
RCR: So is there no regular basis in the laws?
Levy: No, and there are controversial rules. For example, in Piracibaca, in the countryside of São Paulo, there is a law that forbidden any radio base station less than 100 meters from any construction. How do you do that in a city with a lot of buildings? Antennas were created to be allocated close to homes, and they say they must be far. And this is not the worst. There are cities where people who make the rules do not understand about antennas and they ask, for example, to put them underground.
RCR: Do you have an estimate of how many telecom rules there are?
Levy: It should be about 300 laws restricting implementation of antennas that are not aligned with the World Health Organization or Anatel rules.
RCR: What’s SindiTelebrasil doing about this?
Levy: Our role is to analyze and adapt these laws to sensitize institutions and government, even executive and legislative powers, about the need to establish rules. The Communications Ministry (Minicom) is working on this process, and I believe that federal legislation has to organize all these questions. Telecom companies do not pollute the environment, they do not throw debris, but even though states want analysis on environmental impact, like dams companies, when installing antennas. However, a study like this takes six months.
RCR: How many radio base stations are in Brazil?
Levy: There are only about 50,000, which is the same number Italy has. That makes no sense, because Brazil is much more large.
RCR: Regarding Rio’s case, what should be done?
Levy: Rio de Janeiro is one of cases that have placed restrictions, but it is more severe because the city is very important and cannot has as many restrictions to the use of equipment. We have to find a solution that meets all needs, but having in mind that there is no mobile deployment in the world without installing radio base stations. We are having talks with city hall.
RCR: How could LTE be deployed with towers restrictions?
Levy: Good point, because LTE in the 2.5GHz frequency will demand more towers.
RCR: Brazil is not accustomed to outsourcing towers, but could this help the market’s deployment?
Levy: Outsourcing is an another way out, but it is not simple. Outsourcing depends on a country’s maturity stage and legislation.
RCR: Don’t carriers outsource towers because of the competitive roles?
Levy: There are fewer countries with the Brazilian competitive telecoms scenario. But about if carriers aims to be owner of towers I would say it’s not necessary. But, yes, they aim to reach first an specific area before its competitors. Besides, Anatel has established areas where each carrier have to operate, so in many cases they are not providing services in the same area. Sharing a tower is easier when it is a new deployment.
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