5G brings risk that families lose television; 33 municipalities are in Paraná

Poor families in 439 Brazilian municipalities may be left without a television signal once 5G is rolled out. 5G is a data transmission technology that promises to travel at very high speed. Not all cellphones are equipped to use this technology. Even expensive, not-so-new models are obsolete. The frequency used for 5G is the same one on which these families can watch television.

The state with the largest number of municipalities at risk is São Paulo (163), followed by Santa Catarina (36) and Paraná (33).

For families enrolled in the Federal Government’s Unified Registry for Social Programs (CadÚnico) that currently have a working antenna, the federal government delivers digital satellite dishes free of charge. According to the Ministry of Communications, about 1.5 million Brazilians meet these requirements.