TelComp, the Association of Competitive Telecommunications Service Providers, filed a collective writ of security. The court issued a preliminary injunction to halt Anatel’s planned 700MHz spectrum auction. The auction covers sub‑bands 708‑718MHz and 763‑773MHz. This spectrum serves as fundamental infrastructure for 4G enhancement and nationwide 5G coverage, and is the physical foundation for all mobile services including A2P‑SMS, mobile voice and IoT, which will shape Brazil’s telecom competition landscape for years to come.
TelComp’s core argument is that the auction tender documents include anti‑competitive provisions. The entry thresholds for the first bidding round restrict access for small and medium telecom players and favour selected regional operators. The auction was expected to attract BRL 2 billion in investment to improve mobile coverage in remote regions and federal highways. Eight operators including Vivo, Claro, TIM and Brisanet had registered to bid. Submitted bids were sealed by the regulator. Resumption of the auction depends entirely on subsequent court rulings.
Anatel stated it will exhaust all legal avenues to overturn the injunction. Spectrum defines operators’ capacity for network expansion. The auction delay slows the expansion plans of wholesale aggregators relying on new spectrum. The case also shows TelComp, the industry body representing smaller telecom firms, frequently uses litigation to challenge anti‑competitive auction and wholesale rules from Anatel, following the same advocacy approach seen in the PGMC resolution dispute.
