Brazil - Telecom Market and Regulatory Overview - Background Report

Synopsis

Before the incorporation of state-owned Telebrás in 1972, there were more than 900 telecom companies operating throughout Brazil. Between 1972 and 1975, Telebrás and its operating subsidiaries acquired almost all of the other telephony companies, gaining a monopoly in the telecom sector. In July 1996, the government passed a law known as Lei Mínima (Minimum Law), which carved the country into 10 areas for mobile licensing. A General Telecommunications Law was passed in 1997, at which time telecom regulator Anatel was installed to orchestrate one of the world’s largest telecom privatisation and liberalisation programs. The introduction of competition contributed to a telecom boom in 1998-2000, but the economic downturn of 2002 took its toll on Brazilian telecom companies. This report provides background information for the more regularly updated Brazil - Telecom Market Trends, Key Statistics and Regulatory Overview. As such, it covers details on the history and development of Brazil’s telecom market and regulatory framework that are absent from the more up-to-date report, but it does not contain current market trends, analyses, or statistics.