Brazilian regional carriers Unifique, Brisanet and iez Telecom have signed a commercial agreement with AST SpaceMobile to offer mobile broadband by satellite directly to smartphones across Brazil, Telesíntese reported. The companies announced the deal in a material fact notice on Oct. 23, according to Telesíntese.
Under the agreement, the carriers are to make available the 700 MHz radio frequencies they hold and invest in the infrastructure needed to connect their mobile networks to AST's satellite constellation through gateways on the ground, Telesíntese reported.
The deal is not final. Although the agreement has been signed, the final contract details are still being negotiated, and the transaction is subject to conditions that include obtaining authorizations and licenses from Brazil's telecom regulator, Anatel, and its competition authority, Cade, according to Telesíntese.
The companies did not disclose how much they will invest, how the costs will be split among them, or the number and location of the gateways, the outlet reported. They also gave no prices, plans or customer terms, and the notice does not set out a rollout schedule.
The service is known as direct-to-device, or D2D. The partnership is meant to enable voice calls, broadband data and video streaming directly on standard, unmodified smartphones, according to Telesíntese, which said the notice states that no specialized equipment, software updates or apps are required.
The 700 MHz band is associated with 4G and is available on practically any device, although not every device is necessarily prepared to work over a satellite connection, Teletime reported. The outlet noted that regional carriers have coverage obligations in cities with fewer than 30,000 residents, as well as obligations to connect highways and remote areas.
"The partnership with AST SpaceMobile complements our network and allows us to take connectivity beyond the reach of our terrestrial infrastructure," Brisanet founder and CEO José Roberto Nogueira said, according to Telesíntese, which published the remark in Portuguese.
"After fiber and 5G, satellite is the natural next step," Unifique's president, Fabiano Busnardo, said in the company's announcement, Telesíntese reported.
AST currently has 13 satellites in orbit, which does not yet allow uninterrupted service in Brazil, Teletime reported. The company already has more than 60 partnerships with telecom operators, according to the outlet.
Anatel allows direct-to-device services under a regulatory sandbox, meaning without final rules in place, specifically to let business models develop, Teletime reported.
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Teletime reported that satellite coverage is expected to be sufficient for continuous service by the end of 2027. The announcement did not make clear whether the three carriers will reach an agreement among themselves on transit and roaming across their land-based networks, Mobile Time reported.