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Anatel excluded 5,085 CNPJs of broadband providers from the official registry. Companies that continue to operate face sanctions and risk of imprisonment.
More than five thousand broadband internet providers lost their official registration with Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) after ignoring the regularization deadline imposed by the regulatory body. The 5,085 companies excluded from the agency’s registry are now operating illegally and are subject to immediate inspection, administrative sanctions, and even criminal charges. According to Tudo Celular, the measure reinforces a zero-tolerance policy adopted by the agency in the face of escalating irregularities in Brazil’s telecommunications sector.
National operation revealed that half of the inspected providers were illegal
The extent of the problem became evident in a national operation conducted by Anatel that covered all 27 federative units. The survey showed that 50% of the inspected companies were operating without formal authorization — that is, without the so-called service grant, a mandatory document for the legal operation of internet providers.
The result of this action was significant:
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- 6 people were arrested during the operations;
- R$ 200,000 in stolen equipment was recovered;
- Irregular providers were also caught distributing audiovisual content without authorization;
- Clandestine use of power poles and public infrastructure was identified in several regions.
According to Anatel’s Superintendence of Inspection, at least one action to combat clandestinity is carried out per week somewhere in the country — which demonstrates the scale and frequency of the problem.
Anatel tightens the noose: inspection goes beyond operating authorization
Anatel’s inspection focus has evolved. In addition to verifying whether companies have authorization to operate, agents now investigate the origin of the equipment used in the network. Stolen or non-homologated devices pose a direct risk to network security and the end consumer.
Vinicius Caram, the agency’s superintendent, made the institutional directive clear: failing to comply with legal obligations cannot be financially advantageous. The logic is simple — those who evade the rules cannot get ahead of those who comply.
Labor and tax irregularities alarm the sector
A technical analysis conducted based on more than 1,500 companies in the sector revealed a worrying scenario beyond grant issues:
- 57.1% of the analyzed companies presented some type of irregularity;
- 65.33% failed to comply with labor obligations towards their employees;
- Only 15.88% were completely up to date with tax payments.
This market “opacity” — a term used by Anatel itself to describe the problem — creates a negative ripple effect. Without reliable sector data, the government loses the ability to develop efficient public connectivity policies. Before the start of the regularization plan, more than 55% of companies that did not require a grant did not even pass on basic sectoral information to the public authorities.
Regularization is simple and accessible, says Anatel
Despite the scenario of irregularities, the regulatory agency highlights that the legalization process is surprisingly accessible. To obtain the service grant, providers need to:
- Complete the process 100% electronically;
- Pay a fee of only R$ 400;
- Wait up to 15 days for completion.
In other words, there is no technical or financial justification for informality — the cost of regularization is low and the procedure is simple.
Anonymous complaints become part of Anatel’s strategy
To expand the reach of inspection, Anatel has actively encouraged both regular providers and consumers to use anonymous reporting channels to report companies operating outside the law.
The strategy seeks to transform the market itself into an ally of inspection — creating an environment where unfair competition generated by clandestinity becomes increasingly difficult to sustain.
With information from the Tudo Celular website
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