Brazil launches 4G network, smartphone options scant
Brazil has launched its new 4G wireless network across parts of the country, but there are less than a dozen smartphones on the market that are able to hook up to the super-fast network.
The problem isn't just with the devices not supporting the network, per se, but also the network that won't support the devices.
Only a handful of devices, from BlackBerry, Samsung, LG and Sony, are able to connect to the new 4G network due to an incompatibility with the frequency of the wireless spectrum.
Even Apple's iPhone 5, which is on sale in the country, will not connect to the 4G network because it isn't compatible with the 2.5GHz frequency used by the 4G network.
In all, only 11 4G-enabled devices are ready to connect to the new network, all of which are high-end devices. According to Reuters, this compares with more than 260 devices worldwide that come with the next-generation technology.
This means only those more economically viable are able to buy the 4G-enabled smartphones while the bulk of the Brazilian population are left using the overworked, over-subscribed 3G networks.
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A 4G network is crucial for Brazil, not only ahead of the 2014 World Cup, which will bring in vital trade and tourism to the country, but also to help boost the country's overall economy.
4G networks can accommodate far more wireless subscribers with a lesser burden on the existing 2G, EDGE and 3G infrastructure, which can handle only so much traffic.
Brazil remains a BRIC nation — Russia, India, and China are also considered the next major developing and emerging economies — and many tech companies are focusing their assets on bringing technology to a vastly under appreciated market.
The country's 3G networks are already stretched due to a massive uptick in mobile communications in the country.
According to the Brazilian telecoms regulator Anatel, the country had 264 million active wireless connections at the end of March. For reference, this accounts for 133 lines per 100 inhabitants, suggesting most people had more than one device.
Out of this, 211.4 million connections were on prepaid while 52.7 million were postpaid, showing a massive disparity between those who pay-as-you-go and those with fixed long-term contracts, suggesting a higher income bracket.
But the figures show that just 68.3 million people had their PCs, tablets and devices hooked up to the 3G data networks, however.
IDC figures show that Brazil is set to become the fifth largest smartphone market this year, behind China, the U.S., the U.K. and Japan, with around 28 million new devices sold. However, Brazil's telecoms regulator expects only four million 4G devices to be sold this year.
A lot of what happens next depends on the smartphone manufacturers.
Apple did not say whether or not it will offer a 4G version of the iPhone 5 in Brazil — possibly due to rumors of a emerging market device on deck for later this year. Samsung will launch a bevy of new devices to pick up the Apple slack, and BlackBerry will launch its 4G compatible Z10 and Q10 devices later this year.
LG and Sony are expected to launch higher-end devices in the country later this year, although timing remains vague.
(Via Reuters)