The board of Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) approved the draft documents for the auction of radio frequencies in the bands 450 MHz and 2.5 GHz, intended for LTE services. The bidding will be held by 30 April 2012, according to Decree 7512 of 30 June 2011. Anatel’s proposal will remain in consultation for 30 days from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette, with public hearings in Brasilia and Sao Paulo.

According to the regulator, the winners should be committed to taking measures to expand the penetration of voice and data telecommunication services in rural and remote areas at affordable prices. They should also provide broadband internet free of charge to all rural public schools in the areas they serve. The goal is to provide every state capital and every city with more than 500,000 inhabitants with 4G mobile telephony by 2014, in time for the football World Cup tournament, which will take place in Brazil.