In recent years, Brazil has witnessed significant advances in new forms of wireless connectivity, especially in low Earth orbit satellite internet and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA). With the rapid expansion of 5G networks and increased coverage provided by satellite constellations, the Brazilian market now faces a scenario where these technologies can both compete and complement each other, depending on local conditions and users’ specific needs.
5G FWA has been considered an alternative to bring fixed broadband to locations without fiber optic or cable infrastructure. Since December 2, 2024, all 5,570 Brazilian municipalities are eligible to receive standalone 5G technology, thanks to Anatel’s release of the 3.5 GHz band, accelerating the schedule by 14 months. By March 2025, 5G was already present in over 895 municipalities, with highlights in the states of São Paulo (166), Paraná (122), Minas Gerais (111), Santa Catarina (78), and Rio Grande do Sul (63).
In addition to national telecom companies, which heavily invested in expansion, new regional entrants who acquired 5G licenses in the spectrum auction are also betting on FWA. However, despite growing interest, current reach remains modest compared to traditional broadband. Studies indicate that about 40% of global 5G operators already offer FWA—challenges such as equipment costs and data caps limit mass FWA adoption. Because of this, current FWA offerings come with relatively restrictive data caps and require manufacturers to reduce CPE costs to enable larger expansion.
In terms of coverage, FWA directly depends on cellular network availability. In large cities and metropolitan areas where 5G is already present, FWA can be quickly offered—some operators have already announced the service in cities like São Paulo and Campinas. On the other hand, in rural or remote areas, the absence of 5G towers is a limitation. Overall, FWA will be more widely used where well-established cellular coverage exists, leveraging existing 5G infrastructure to deliver fixed wireless broadband.
Low Earth Orbit Satellites: Advancing Rapidly
Parallel to FWA, Brazil is witnessing a true revolution in satellite internet, driven by low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Unlike traditional geostationary satellites (orbiting ~36,000 km from Earth), LEO satellites orbit just a few hundred kilometers away, enabling much lower latency and services more comparable to terrestrial broadband.
Since 2022, a major LEO constellation has been serving the country and has grown exponentially in users and capacity. Currently, satellite coverage already reaches nearly 100% of Brazilian territory—users only need an unobstructed view of the sky to connect. This includes everything from farms in remote inland areas to riverside communities in the Amazon.
Recent data confirms the rapid growth of LEO satellite users in Brazil. An April 2025 report highlighted that the leading low Earth orbit satellite internet service—Starlink—already had 345,000 active subscribers in Brazil, representing a 2.3-fold increase in just one year—making the country the 4th largest market worldwide.
This impressive number—achieved in about two years of commercial operation—positions satellite connectivity as a significant solution, especially in locations where terrestrial networks do not reach. For comparison, in September 2023, it was estimated that 0.8% of all broadband connections in the country were via satellite, a proportion that jumps to 2.8% in the Northern Region, with the LEO constellation accounting for 44% of those satellite connections (about 37,000 connections). In some Northern states, Starlink already holds more than half of all satellite connections, reflecting its leadership in this niche.
The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) approved the expansion of the LEO satellite license in April 2025, allowing the operation of 7,500 additional satellites beyond the approximately 4,400 already authorized. This means the constellation could reach nearly 12,000 satellites in orbit serving Brazil in the coming years, strengthening its capacity and coverage.
Performance and Latency
Both systems can deliver broadband speeds, but the numbers depend on available infrastructure. In Brazilian measurements, Starlink’s LEO connection achieved 113 Mbps download and 22 Mbps upload, outperforming other satellites. Meanwhile, 5G FWA, when using mid-band frequencies (3.5 GHz), can achieve similar or higher speeds depending on antenna proximity and spectrum availability.
Regarding latency, a fixed 5G connection typically has latency in the range of 20 to 40 milliseconds, similar to a conventional mobile network—suitable for real-time applications, video conferencing, etc. Meanwhile, the low Earth orbit satellite constellation recorded latencies around 50 ms in Brazilian tests, an incredibly low level compared to the 600–800 ms of geostationary satellites.
In practice, 50 ms is sufficiently close to the fiber experience (which ranges from 5–20 ms) to support almost all applications without major drawbacks. The 30 ms difference between FWA and LEO is not noticeable for most common applications, although standalone 5G could theoretically reduce latency further as core infrastructure evolves.
Despite their similarities, in remote rural areas or areas with poor infrastructure, satellite internet emerges as the last-mile savior. Where there are no nearby cell towers or fiber backhaul, deploying 5G may not be feasible in the short term—installing a satellite antenna becomes the fastest and highest-performing solution.
In Brazilian agriculture, for example, the adoption of LEO internet has been celebrated as a productivity booster, connecting farms that were previously offline. Even public agencies have turned to space-based solutions to connect schools, health centers, and forest bases. Thus, in areas underserved by telecom operators, satellites face no competition—they fill a niche for both basic and advanced connectivity, enabling everything from basic internet access to IoT solutions in rural areas.
Conversely, in urban areas and regions with well-structured mobile networks, 5G FWA should prevail as the preferred fixed wireless access option. This is because cities have high antenna density, ample capacity, and competition among operators—factors that keep prices affordable and allow generous data plans. FWA can directly compete with traditional broadband in uncabled neighborhoods, offering performance similar to fiber in many cases.
In conclusion, Brazil’s new connectivity landscape points to the complementary coexistence of FWA and satellite internet. It is not a head-to-head competition for the same market share but rather optimally serving different geographic and usage needs. Executives and decision-makers should view these technologies as allies in expanding connectivity: FWA leveraging 5G infrastructure to deliver fast wireless broadband where economically viable, and satellites covering gaps while providing mobility and redundancy. This mosaic, if well-coordinated, will ensure that digital transformation knows no physical boundaries, bringing quality internet from metropolitan centers to the country’s farthest reaches sustainably and efficiently.
