Omnispace Expands Spectrum Portfolio with Authorization to Operate Mobile Satellite System in Brazil

February 19, 2024

Omnispace LLC announced that on December 14, 2023, Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) approved its subsidiary Omnispace Comunicações Brasil Ltda’s request to operate its non-geostationary satellite (NGSO) system nationwide.  After conducting a public consultation and technical reviews, ANATEL determined that Omnispace meets the requirements to utilize the S-band (1980-2010 MHz / 2170-2200 MHz) in line with the ITU Radio Regulations global Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) allocation and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) n256 band specifications.

This regulatory milestone adds to Omnispace’s growing global portfolio of countries where it has achieved regulatory approvals and spectrum access. In total, Omnispace now has market access to reach more than 735 million people across Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Together with partners that have spectrum access in 3GPP 5G NTN bands, Omnispace is poised to deliver access in all major international markets as part of a next generation global 5G NGSO system.

Since 2019, Omnispace Comunicações Brasil has demonstrated its NGSO MSS and IoT capabilities on its current system through a series of experimental licenses in Brazil. The pilot projects included showcasing MSS on a ship that journeyed more than 44,000 kilometers on the Amazon and Madeira Rivers to provide connectivity throughout those remote areas that do not have access to terrestrial mobile connectivity.  Omnispace also conducted vehicle tracking and Internet of Things (IoT) pilot projects in the state of São Paulo to test direct-to-device (D2D) communications. Omnispace is the first company to successfully conduct mobile satellite tests in the S-band in Brazil and will now be the first satellite operator licensed in Brazil for this band with an operational system.

“We look forward to providing MSS and IoT services in Brazil, which is at the forefront of the global stage for creating a harmonized S-band MSS ecosystem,” said Ram Viswanathan, President and CEO for Omnispace LLC. “This approval by ANATEL is a key component in accelerating our vision to unlock the full potential of direct-to-device connectivity globally leveraging standards-based technology. Brazil is part of a global map of countries and spectrum access that we have assembled, putting us closer to creating the necessary foundation for an exceptional voice, text, and data experience.”

“Obtaining an authorization to operate in Brazil has been one of my primary objectives since I first joined Omnispace.  We are grateful for the diligence, transparency, technical capabilities, and global leadership of Brazil’s regulatory authority, ANATEL, in supporting spectrum efficiency and technologies that will benefit Brazilian consumers, businesses and the economy,” said Mindel De La Torre, Chief Regulatory and International Strategy Officer of Omnispace LLC. “We eagerly anticipate connecting rural and remote communities, and fostering economic, environmental, and educational opportunities through the widespread expansion of satellite communications across both the country and the region.”