Brazilian telecom regulator Anatel has cancelled a meeting for the signing of 3G spectrum contracts with mobile operators, originally planned for 10 April. This follows a decision by the Federal Court of Accounts regarding the frequency auction. According to the court, a resolution published in 1998 gives it the right to review the spectrum awards process, which was not done. This issue has generated controversy, as representatives of the mobile operators claim that the clause of the resolution to which the court is referring mentions concessions, and not the issue of frequencies. While the auction took place in December, Anatel has only just provided the required information to the court and it now has 45 days to review the matter. Currently, only Claro and Telemig Celular offer 3G systems in the 850 MHz frequency band, while Vivo and TIM are waiting to receive the results of the auction to launch the service in the 2.1 MHz band. The operators had been hoping to start 3G services for the Mother's Day holiday.
