Brazil ended March 2012 with more than 250.8 million active mobile subscribers, of which 52 million were 3G, representing growth of 10.11 percent from 47.2 million 3G handsets in February 2012.

The mobile phone penetration rate rose to 128 percent. Of the total mobile phones in the country, 205.2 million were prepaid (81.83%) and 45.6 million postpaid (18.17%). The absolute number of new additions (3.2 million) is the largest recorded for the month of March in the last thirteen years and represents an increase of 1.30 percent compared with February 2012, according to statement from the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel).
Maranhao remains the only Brazilian state with less than one mobile phone per capita density (84.4).

Vivo is still the market leader with 74.78 million subscribers (29.81% market share), followed by TIM with 67.2 million subscribers (26.80%), and Claro in third position with 61.59 million subscribers (24.56%). Oi appears in fourth place with 46.69 million active subscribers (18.53%) and was the only one to see its market share shrink in comparison with the previous month. In percentage terms, Claro was the operator with the highest growth.