Anatel will soon begin work on rules for Wi-Fi services, targeting mainly ISPs, according to Edmundo Matarazzo, head of Anatel?s universal-access department. Wi-Fi is industry jargon for short-range wireless networking technology that allows multiple devices such as PCs, laptops and PDAs to share a single high-speed Internet connection. First Anatel will publish rules and regulations governing Internet access in general. This should be possible in September.
The licenses will be inexpensive, Mr Matarazzo said. They will cover external wireless transmission systems at various frequencies, with a range of up to 4 kilometers, or interconnections among local-area wireless networks. Anatel currently prohibits the service because it can cause interference with other operations. Companies interested in offering access under these conditions can do so at present only if they have a ?multimedia? license (SCM), which costs 9,000 Brazilian reals (now about 3,000 US Dollars) and is for the entire country. The new licenses will probably cost about 300 BRL, which is the fee paid by a radio cab company.
Wireless services
