Brazil distributes digital antennae to 5 million low‑income families
Over 5 million low-income Brazilian families have received the digital satellite dish kit distributed free of charge through the Siga Antenado (“Stay Tuned”) federal program. The initiative was developed in collaboration with telecom authority Anatel and mobile operators Claro, Vivo, and TIM—the main winners of the 5G auction in November 2021.
“Despite the huge logistical and operational challenges, what has always driven us is the social impact, the difference we can make in people’s lives,” said Leandro Guerra, president of the EAF, a nonprofit created by Claro, TIM, and Vivo under Anatel to fulfill part of the obligations from the 5G auction notice.
The effort to provide new devices has generated over 33 thousand jobs for installers and call center attendants across Brazil, he went on to note.
Among the requirements imposed by Anatel at the auction held three and a half years ago was the clearance of the 3.5 GHz band. Until then used for broadcasting free-to-air satellite TV, the frequency was allocated to 5G operation. As a result, traditional satellite dishes had to be replaced with digital ones, including receivers, due to the migration of the TV signal previously transmitted on band C to band KU.
Replacement
Early in 2022, the ministry reported, more than 60 million Brazilians were watching free-to-air TV using satellite dishes that required replacement. This is why the program was created, “to guide and support the entire Brazilian population during signal migration” and guarantee the free installation of new digital satellite dishes for people registered in a welfare initiative.
According to Secretary of Electronic Social Communication at the Ministry of Communications Wilson Wellisch, in addition to the just over 5 million kits distributed free of charge to low-income households, around 10 million sets have been sold by private companies. “That’s a total of around 15 million homes with KU band reception—an impressive figure,” he noted during the presentation of the balance sheet.
In the view of Minister of Communications Frederico Siqueira, “it means a lot that we have reached the milestone of 5 million homes receiving the new digital satellite dish kit free of charge. These are families who now have more than 100 open channels, with quality sound and image, at no cost.” He also pointed out that around BRL 3 billion had been earmarked for the program.
“The initiative of the Brazilian state to guarantee this change of equipment is vital because free-to-air TV is families’ main means of access to information, culture, and entertainment in a large number of places. And when we guarantee access to it, we guarantee dignity,” the minister concluded saying.
Expansion
In May this year, the Ministry of Communications expanded the program to reach low-income residents in 323 municipalities across 16 Brazilian states with limited terrestrial coverage, even if they do not have a satellite dish installed.
