# 5G New Radio Open Radio Access Network Implementation in Brazil: Review and Cost Assessment
## 3 Current Telecommunications Landscape in Brazil  
### Existing Infrastructure  
In Brazil, 3G has performed unsatisfactorily due to the vertiginous growth in data transmission rates required to operate new applications on wireless mobile networks, \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**KPI Category** & **c-RAN** & **o-RAN** & **d-RAN** & **v-RAN** \\ \hline CAPEX & Moderate & High & Low & Moderate \\ \hline OPEX & Low & Moderate & High & Low \\ \hline Latency & Low & Moderate & High & Low \\ \hline Reliability & Moderate & High & High & Moderate \\ \hline Flexibility & High & High & Low & High \\ \hline Deployment flexibility & High & High & Low & High \\ \hline Network scalability & High & High & Low & High \\ \hline Energy Efficiency & High & Medium & Low & High \\ \hline Resource Utilization & High & Medium & Low & High \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Comparison Matrix. particularly those associated with emerging digital platforms that support innovative social networks. In 2010, 4G LTE networks began to be introduced, and they became more prominent after 2012. In Brazil, the launch was associated with the implementation of the infrastructure that supported the 2014 World Cup. At the time, 4G networks were developed entirely within the IP concept: they are packet networks using the TCP/IP protocol. In 2021, Brazil adopted 5G technology. The new companies were forced to adopt the 5G standalone (SA). In the other countries where this occurred, 5G was structured in the Non-Standalone (NSA) version, which means that the core of the network remained based on 4G, and only the Radio (NR--New Radio) was that of 5G (3 GPP Release 15). However, companies that began operating in the country before 2021 use the 5G NSA version. In Brazil, there is a clear need to install new towers, masts, and support platforms on buildings to expand geographical coverage and increase the capacity of the networks currently in operation. This includes facilitating the entry of new companies into the wireless communications market. Estimates indicate the need to double the country's infrastructure to meet demand over the next five years. In practical terms, this requires the implementation of an infrastructure equivalent to what has been in place for the last 30 years. Companies that own tower infrastructure face challenges in expanding. One relates to the legal aspects of nonionizing radiation. In addition, each city in the country has its own legislation on the availability of space for installing telecommunications infrastructure. According to the regulations in force in several municipalities, a very high percentage of the 92,000 existing base stations is irregular. Some rules state that these towers, which cannot be regularized, must be removed under the threat of being subject to monthly fines, often heavy and recurring, making it impossible to maintain them [27]. There has been a growing understanding of the need to standardize the guidelines for the installation of towers in the country in recent years. This is fundamental and essential to achieve the goals set for the next five years and the general future. Brazil has 21.3 thousand BS in the 3.5 GHz frequency assigned to 5G, according to Anatel (Agencia Nacional de Telecomunicacoes) [28]. The BS installations are three times the expected amount for the period, with 6.4 thousand in the second half of 2024. According to Anatel, six MNOs have installed BS to cover 1202 cities. The 5G NR coverage reaches 59% of the population and 60.7% of Brazilian houses. Figure 1 shows the number of gNodeBs for each 5G MNO in Brazil with installed base stations throughout the country. TIM with 8400 gNodeBs in yellow, Algar with 182 gNodeBs in cyan, Claro with 7900 gNodeBs, Unifique in purple with 14 gNodeBs, Vivo with 5300 gNodeBs in blue, and in green Brisanet with 1000 gNodeBs. The frequencies used in Brazil for wireless mobile networks are shown in Table 2.