Brazil's Telefónica|Vivo has commercially launched its first 5G fixed-wireless access (FWA) product dubbed Vivo Box 5G
Brazil's Telefonica|Vivo has commercially launched its first 5G fixed-wireless access (FWA) product dubbed Vivo Box 5G.
The operator currently provides one subscription-based plan for the service, giving customers access to 150GB of data for BRL 150 (28.14) per month, plus an additional ten monthly BRL 150 instalments for the necessary Wi-Fi 6 router. The hardware allows up to 128 devices to connect simultaneously.
Vivo talked up the easy installation process, saying the router does not need cables or technical assistance from engineers to get working.
Users can return the router within seven days if they decide to cancel their service early. Additionally, customers can cancel within 15 days if there is failure of coverage, provided that less than 250MB of data has been used.
5G FWA rollout begins
While the offering is Telefonicas first 5G FWA product in Brazil, the launch makes Vivo the second operator
to enable the service in the country. Rival Claro Brasil went live with its first FWA product in August
2023, and with larger monthly data allowances of 200GB and 400GB. The countrys third operator TIM Brasil
also plans to roll out FWA this year.
Vivo previously flagged the technology as a way to complement its Vivo Fibra fixed offering while expanding its reach in remote areas for consumers, small businesses, and public institutions (Telefonicawatch, #168).
Vivo has trialled FWA technology over the last three years, prior to Vivo Box 5Gs launch. Notably, in October 2021, the operator trialed 26GHz millimetre-wave (mmWave) spectrum to analyse its potential use for next-generation services.
The deployment reportedly saw Vivo deploy the technology at two existing facilities in Barra da Tijuca and Recreio, assessing the performance and maturity of the technology, and also what types of services can be launched, according to Elmo Matos, Director of Network Planning at the OB.
Focuses of the tests included FWA and applications aimed at the corporate market.
Telefonica offers a similar service to Vivo Box 5G in Germany, with Telefonica Deutschlands (O2 Germany) O2 Homespot routers providing internet connectivity over its 4G and 5G networks, and tariffs with unlimited monthly data volumes and transmission speeds of up to 100Mbps.
O2 Germany also experimented with FWA, initiating trials with Samsung in November 2018. The tests used mmWave spectrum, with equipment comprising a virtual core and a 5G radio access unit, as well as 5G outdoor units and indoor routers to customers. In February 2019, the pair concluded that the technology provided an attractive alternative to existing DSL broadband without the time-consuming fibre deployment normally required.