Nokia predicted Brazil would be home to the world’s biggest auction of 5G-suitable spectrum when it conducts a sale in 2020, Reuters reported.

Wilson Cardoso, Nokia’s Latin America CTO in Latin America (pictured), spoke to the news outlet in an interview, stating the company was firmly setting its sights on the country’s 5G rollout, with Brazil being its biggest market in the region.

Cardoso said Nokia saw “the political will to carry out a large spectrum auction” in the first quarter of 2020, as regulator Anatel determines the rules for the process.

In May, Anatel allocated 2.3GHz and 3.5GHz frequencies for 5G, while 26GHz and 700MHz will be used to support ultra-reliable and low latency communications for industrial use.

Should the agency decide to sell all four in the same auction, due to be held in March 2020, Cardoso said it will be the largest 5G auction globally to date, describing 26GHz and 700MHz as the “crown jewels”.

Indeed, Cardoso told Mobile World Live in December 2018 he was confident that 5G in Latin America would reach industries first, with the company working with operators in both Chile and Brazil on mining, smart grids and farming, where he believes the true potential for 5G lies.

Opportunities
The company started testing 5G with operator TIM Participacoes in February 2018: Cardoso confirmed the company was also working with other operators.

Rival vendors Ericsson and Huawei are also collaborating with Anatel on the auction, and Cardoso revealed his company was taking full advantage of opportunities, in light of the Chinese vendor’s well publicised issues.

“We are the western alternative to Huawei’s products and their direct competitor, as our end-to-end portfolios are quite compatible,” he added.