Brazil Technology News
RIO DE JANEIRO – Tech giant Qualcomm announced Tuesday it aims to develop chips that can operate in different frequency bands for the Brazil market. The chips will allow mobile devices, which operate on the 4G system, to transmit data at frequencies specified by the Brazilian government.
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The announcement came after a summit meeting between the multinational and President Dilma Rousseff at Planalto Palace in Brasilia.
The frequency range selected by the National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) for 4G Internet in the country is 2.5 GHz, unlike in the United States – Qualcomm’s home country – where wireless data transmission takes place in the range of 700 MHz.
According to Cristiano Ramon, division chief of Qualcomm Brazil, the company committed to developing technology to operate in the bands chosen by Brazil, including the 450 MHz band, as designated by ANATEL for voice and data transmission in rural areas.
“Qualcomm is a leading marketing semiconductor technology for 4G systems and today we operate in more than 15 bands. One of the commitments we made is to integrate all the bands that Brazil is considering for 4G. Not only the 700 MHz, 2.5 GHz but, also 450 MHz for rural broadband and to include in Qualcomm’s global chips so that economies of scale are there for all frequency bands that Brazil is contemplating for 4G technology,” said Ramon.
In April, the company announced the creation of a research and development center in Brazil focused on tablets, plus a lab to support the development of applications for smartphones and tablets, both in Sao Paulo.
According to Brazil’s Minister of Communications Paulo Bernardo, who also attended the meeting with the President Dilma Rousseff, the president proved particularly interested in the issue and said that Brazil is also interested in using mobile technology to monitor the quality of public services.
