- SNS Telecom & IT said there over 250 private network projects in Brazil
- This is largely because of the liberal spectrum availability in the country
- Major companies deploying private cellular include Nestle, Enel and John Deere
Because Brazil is a country with a very liberal approach to spectrum availability, it is the largest national market for private LTE and 5G networks in Latin America, according to SNS Telecom & IT.
The firm has tracked over 250 projects in its recently updated private network (PNW) database. Following Fierce’s examination of private networks in Venezuela (hint: there aren’t many), we took a look at other markets deploying private cellular in South America. As it turns out, Brazil is the big one.
SNS Telecom & IT projects are based on a mix of limited private service licenses and mobile operator-owned spectrum. “SLP licenses are available in 10 different bands ranging from sub-500 MHz to 3.7-3.8 GHz and mmWave frequencies,” the firm said.
SNS noted that Nokia and Ericsson lead the market in Brazil, although Huawei has also supplied its eLTE (Enterprise LTE) and private 5G solutions for over 20 projects to customers across the agriculture, manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, public safety and utility sectors.
Some customers have transitioned from Huawei to Western suppliers in recent years, according to the firm.
“For example, Petrobras (Petróleo Brasileiro) has replaced Huawei's eLTE solution with a Nokia-supplied private LTE/5G-ready network for its offshore platforms and onshore production facilities. Mobile operator Vivo (Telefônica Brasil) is the integrator for the project,” 5G research director Asad Khan wrote.
Additional private network vendors
Several other private network equipment vendors do business in Brazil, beyond the big three.
“For example, Siemens has deployed its own private 5G network equipment using 3.7-3.8 GHz SLP spectrum at its plant in Jundiaí, São Paulo, while Baicells and CloudRAN.AI have deployed private 5G networks at multiple race tracks in Brazil to stream live video footage from inside the car to spectators, race teams, and other stakeholders,” he said.
Airspan Networks, Celona, HPE, RADTONICS, Pente Networks, Teltronic, JRC (Japan Radio Company), NEC, Furukawa, and ZTE are examples of some of the other radio access network (RAN) and mobile core suppliers involved in projects within Brazil. Domestic wireless infrastructure vendor Trópico, which has been involved in several projects, is another one.
Companies deploying private networks
“Nestle has deployed an Ericsson-supplied standalone private 5G network for industrial applications at its factory in Caçapava, São Paulo,” Khan said. “Initially implemented in 2022, the network was expanded around a year ago to cover three KitKat production lines. It's difficult to single out companies as there are so many that are actively investing in private networks, especially in Brazil.”
Energy company Enel is one of the largest adopters in the utility vertical, with both wide area and campus/facility-based private networks in Brazil, Khan noted. Other companies with recent multi-national, multi-site, or large-scale private network projects include Anglo American, AMAGGI, Ambev, APM Terminals (Maersk), Cemig (Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais), CPFL Energia, Eletrobras, EDP Brasil, Energisa, Eneva and John Deere, among many others, the analyst said.
Market growth
SNS Telecom & IT projects that private LTE/5G network investments in the Latin America region will grow at a CAGR of approximately 24% over the next three-year period to reach close to $800 million in annual spending by the end of 2028. The growth rate is nearly double for 5G deployments, but LTE still dominates the Latin American market as of Q4 2025.