Luiz Fernando Ferreira Silva, Ph.D., Anatel, Brazil
IP Networking and MEDIACOM 2004
Geneva, 24 - 27 April 2001
Contents
 Introduction
 The Technological Convergence
 Regulations toward Convergence
 Future Actions
 Concluding Remarks
Introduction
Objective
 To describe the extent to which Brazil has positioned itself to respond
to the impact of the technological
telecommunication regulation in the country.
convergence
on
the
Argument
 The implications of the technological convergence on current
regulatory regimes clearly indicate that they will be subject of
revisions.
 The actions to be taken on these regimes, it is argued, need to be in
line with the expectations of service providers and consumers in the
sense of promoting greater benefits for the society as a whole under
an increasing availability of convergent services.
The Technological Convergence
Conceptual Approach
 Technological convergence is defined as a process of formation
of successive similarities amongst technologies that had been
distinct from one another. They have once established clear
borderlines amongst the services they have enabled the provision
but now share a common digital environment.
The Technological Convergence
Response of Regulatory Authorities
 Full legislation and regulatory reform requires a long-term in-depth
assessment of the technological convergence;
 Technologies and services are evolving rapidly and leaving a large number of
legal and regulatory provisions lagging behind;
 Regulatory uncertainties must be expeditiously and timely removed, in order
for the pertaining industries to continue to grow;
 Initial step toward a future flexible regulatory framework:
 to consider technology and platform as neutral so that new
developments in services, be they incremental or radical innovations, can
be easily accommodated.
The Technological Convergence
Users Perspective
Contents
Voice
Documents/Data
Pictures
Broadcasting
Telephone/Fax
Yes
Yes
No
-
Mobile
Yes
Yes
No
-
Computer
?
Yes
?
?
Terrestrial
Radio/Television
Yes
?
-
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Services
Cable TV /Broadband
Wireless Cable
Source: Elaborated from Bill Wigglesworth and Jill Hills. Convergence of Broadcasting and
Telecommunications, 1999 (mimeo).
Regulations toward Convergence
General Aspects:
 Anatel’s regulatory actions in the light of the technological
convergence are mainly concerned with:
 The support for the creation of a modern, efficient
infrastructure of telecommunications in Brazil;
 The supply for the entire Brazilian
telecommunications services at fair prices;
population
of
 The re-organization of its own structure and of the
telecommunications industry.
Regulations toward Convergence
Regulation for the Use of Paid Mass Communication Service Networks
for the Provision of Value Added Services (VAS)
 Approved through Anatel’s Resolution nº 190 in 1999.
 The purpose of this regulation is:
 To make mass communication service networks (DTH, MMDS, and
Cable TV) available for providers of VAS;
 To allow the network holder to explore VAS only through a separated
company established specially for the rendering of VAS;
 To promote free-market competition features between Access
Network Providers;
 To make it possible the interconnection of Cable TV, MMDS, and DTH
Networks to the Internet.
Regulations toward Convergence
Regulation for Mass
Subscribers (SCEMa)
Electronic
Communication
Services
for
 Public Consultation yet to be published;
 The purpose of this regulation is:
 To introduce the term “electronic” and adequate the regulatory framework
to the current context of the telecommunications sector;
 To review and consolidate a single regulatory Act for pay-TV services;
 To license services and radio-frequencies separately;
 To regulate this service independent of the technology employed in its
provision.
Regulations toward Convergence
SCEMa can be provided over technologies as follows:
Coax and Fiber (Cable TV);
Terrestrial radio-electric waves (MMDS);
Satellite (Direct-to-Home).
Systems Characteristics
MMDS Characteristics
Telecommunication service which uses radio-frequency spectrum (2.5 GHz - 2.686
GHz) to distribute signals (any telecommunication signal) within the licensed area;
Return channel in the frequency band of 2.170 to 2.182 GHz (differs from the U.S.
and Canada);
6 MHz channels;
EIRP Max - 33 dBW considering a 50 Km radius;
The signal transmitted shall be coded by the operator;
Systems Characteristics
MMDS Characteristics
Most of the operations are currently analogue, but the digitalisation of this system
is taking place and its capacity will increase for the provision of services;
MMDS uses a cellular configuration also split into sectors;
Average Rate of 144 Kbps from the user to the head-end, using digital
modulation.
Systems Characteristics
MMDS
Systems Characteristics
Cable TV Characteristics
Cable television network is built up as a public and unique network;
Telecommunication service, which distributes sound and video programs to
subscribers by using cables (Mainly fiber and coax);
Approximately 80 video channels (6 MHz);
The return channel is available in the cable infrastructure;
The modulation techniques most used are Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK)
and Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM);
Cable TV operators are currently using the Cable Modem technology to provide
interactive services to users.
Systems Characteristics
Cable TV
Systems Characteristics
Cable TV Interactivity
Internet
User equipment
Cable TV Network
Internet
Cable TV
Programming
Television
Until 10 Mbps
to the user
WWW Server
Link
Headend
128 Kbps from
the user
Computer
Modem
Systems Characteristics
Characteristics DTH
Telecommunication service which distributes audio and video programs through
satellites to subscribers within the licensed area;
The operator can use satellite systems either of its own or leased from a satellite
operator;
The operator must establish a Monitoring Center within the Brazilian territory;
The transmission of DTH signal is digital;
DTH has approximately 120 video and audio channels.
Systems Characteristics
DTH
Regulations toward Convergence
Regulation for the Multimedia Communication Service (SCM)
 Anatel’s Public Consultation nº 246 (under analysis);
 Holds capacity for providing multimedia applications, such as data,
image, audio & video, text, etc. (a convergent service indeed);
 Can be provided over any telecommunications network;
 Public Switched Telephone Service, Broadcasting Service and Pay-TV
Service are excluded.
Regulations toward Convergence
SCM Characteristics
Licensed area may be local, regional or national;
 Can be provided over various radio-frequencies, including 2,5 GHz,
3,5 GHz, 10,5 GHz and 24 - 31GHz, known as Fixed Broadband
Wireless Access (FBWA);
 Point to multi-point, uni and bi-directional.

Regulations toward Convergence
SCM will support applications such as:
High speed Internet access;
Data communication;
Corporate voice;
Audio and video;
Teleconference;
Tele-medicine;
Tele-education;
Video-on-Demand;
Other.
Systems Characteristics
SCM can be provided over various technologies, mainly over Local
Multipoint Distribution/Communication System (LMD/CS).
LMD/CS has the following features:






Capacity to provide convergent services;
Capacity to provide telecommunication services at high bit rate;
Use radio-frequencies around 28 GHz;
Cellular architecture;
Frequencies reuse;
Limited coverage area.
Systems Characteristics
LMD/CS
Systems Characteristics
LMD/CS Strengths
Potential to provide a ‘full multimedia service network’ package of
integrated voice, video and high-speed data services;
Rapid deployment of a multimedia network and the lower costs for the
installation of related accesses;
A point to multi-point network, which offers further advantages such as:
faster realisation of revenue, demand-based buildout, a sort of fibre-like
quality of service, quick response to market demand and lower network
maintenance, management and operating costs.
LMD/CS Weaknesses
One of the main problems to be faced by operators of this system is rain,
foliage and dust attenuation effects causing reduction in the signal level due
to its operation at 28 GHz frequency band.
Anatel’s Regulatory Action
Public Consultation nº 291
 On April 17, Anatel published the Public Consultation nº 291
which has the purpose of stimulating and broadening the debate
on the choice of the countries’ DTV standard;
 This Public Consultation has as its Annexes:
 Annex I - Integrated Technical and Market Report;
 Annex II - Analysis of Tests (Field/Laboratory) performed in
Brazil.
Anatel’s Regulatory Action
The factors that Anatel is to take into account in the adoption of a
Digital TV broadcast Standard:
 Penetration rate of analogue, off-the-air TV in Brazilian households;
 Importance of the Brazilian market in the consolidation of the standard
selected on a global scale;
 Business and transition models that meet the needs of the Brazilian
population;
 Identification and analysis of all the factors involved in the introduction of
digital technology in terrestrial TV transmissions.
Future Actions
Introduction
 Analysis of the impact of the technological convergence on the Brazilian
telecommunication market to be carried out by Anatel and Specialized
Consultants.
Objective
 Expose about the impact of technological convergence in
telecommunications sector, including the radio broadcast and IT sectors.
the
 Review the telecommunications regulatory regime in the country, including
the radio broadcast and IT regimes presently in force;
 Develop a regulatory framework that do not hinder the growth of the
telecommunications sector, including the radio broadcast and IT sectors, and
that foster, at the same time, technological innovations that can be extended to
all associated industries.
Future Actions
Expected Products
 An analysis of the current and future setting, the risks and opportunities for
the development of the telecommunication sector, including the radio broadcast
and IT sectors;
 A description of the future scenarios for the technological development of
these sectors and how these elements can contribute to the various modes of
telecommunications (voice, data, video, multimedia, etc. signal transmissions)
in urban and rural areas;
 A regulatory and licensing framework that is capable of promoting the
compatible development of communications, the redesign of Anatel’s
organizational structure and competencies, and the establishment of an action
plan for adjusting to the changes.
Conclusion
 While the process of technological convergence progresses the world
over, policy strategies need to be found on the extent to which the
pace toward the establishment of multimedia services can be
accelerated, whereas we all share the idea of the direction the whole
global society is heading;
 Back to the concept of evolutionary process that telecommunication,
broadcasting and computing technologies have embarked on, it can
be asserted that the digital environment has set the direction for an
ubiquitous provision of convergent services in the very near future.
Luiz Fernando Ferreira Silva, Ph.D.
Anatel, Brazil
lffs@anatel.gov.br
(55) (61) 312-2393