What Telebras does

Telecomunicações Brasileiras S.A. (Telebras) is a Brazilian state-owned mixed-capital publicly listed company (B3: TELB3) created by Law 5.792 in 1972, privatized in 1998, and subsequently reconstituted as the federal government's telecommunications integrator. The company operates an integrated multi-orbit connectivity platform built on two core infrastructure assets: (i) the Satélite Geoestacionário de Defesa e Comunicações Estratégicas (SGDC), a 5.8-tonne geostationary satellite launched May 4, 2017, providing 58 Gbps of Ka-band HTS capacity for commercial broadband and X-band capacity reserved for exclusive military use, controlled from the Tier IV-certified COPE-P (Brasília) and COPE-S (Rio de Janeiro) Space Operations Centers; and (ii) a 30,000+ km national fiber optic backbone predominantly built on OPGW technology along power transmission infrastructure, supported by three satellite gateways (Campo Grande, Salvador, Florianópolis) and four regional offices.

Telebras's commercial model rests on a regulatory preference regime established by Law 14.744/2024 and Decree 12.124/2024, under which it serves as the mandatory preferred provider of SCM telecommunications services to the Brazilian Federal Administration, with direct contracting permitted via bid waiver. The company also executes the Wi-Fi Brasil (GESAC) and Norte Conectado government digital inclusion programs (connecting 17,000+ public access points including 11,000+ schools and 3,000+ municipalities), and provides wholesale fiber and satellite capacity to telecommunications operators, ISPs, defense forces, and select enterprise customers in remote regions. Revenue is generated primarily through government service contracts, managed services for inclusion programs, and wholesale bandwidth sales, with pricing negotiated per project under no publicly disclosed rate card.

The company has executed a corporate repositioning during 2025-2026, including a memorandum of understanding with Chinese low-earth-orbit satellite operator SpaceSail (announced 2025, services targeted for 2026) to add multi-orbit capabilities against Starlink, a November 2025 rebrand (from sine-wave logo to a Brazil-map formed by interconnected dots), the Plano Estratégico Institucional 2026-2030, and the appointment of Hermano Studart Lins de Albuquerque as President in April 2026. Telebras holds 49% of Visiona Tecnologia Espacial S.A., a 2011 joint venture with Embraer for satellite development supporting Brazil's National Defense Strategy.

Name

Telebras

Legal name

Telecomunicações Brasileiras S.A. – TELEBRAS

Website

https://telebras.com.br

Company type

Public

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Telebras is Brazil's state-owned telecommunications integrator, operating the SGDC geostationary satellite (58 Gbps), a 30,000+ km fiber backbone, and the Wi-Fi Brasil and Norte Conectado inclusion programs. It serves the Brazilian Federal Administration under a regulatory preference regime and provides wholesale capacity to operators, ISPs, and defense clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Satellite Telecommunications (5174), Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Satellite Wholesale Capacity & Backhaul (transponder/HTS capacity, teleport services) (HDAIAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Utility Fiber Backbone & Transport Networks (OTN/MPLS, DWDM) (EUADAIAA), Telecom, SCADA & OPGW/Fiber Integration for T&D Projects (EUAEABAG), Communication Towers, Poles, Conduit & Outside Plant (OSP) Infrastructure (EUADAIAL)

Keywords

• Satellite communications services
• Fiber optic backbone
• Government telecommunications
• Satellite broadband
• Digital inclusion programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Brasília

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Telecommunications Services: Telebras is the preferred provider of SCM (Serviço de Comunicação Multimídia) telecommunications services to the Brazilian Federal Administration under Law 14.744/2024. Direct contracting without competitive bidding is permitted under Article 75(IX) of Law 14.133/2021. Revenue is generated through government service contracts for connectivity solutions.
2. Satellite Broadband Services: Satellite connectivity services using the SGDC's Ka-band capacity to serve remote areas, government institutions (schools, hospitals), indigenous and quilombola communities, and defense communications. Includes wholesale services to ISPs and access providers.
3. Terrestrial Fiber Network Services: Fiber optic backbone services provided to telecommunications operators, ISPs, and government bodies. Telebras offers customized connectivity solutions leveraging its 30,000+ km national fiber network.
4. Wi-Fi Brasil / GESAC Program: Telebras operates as the executive arm of the Wi-Fi Brasil (GESAC) program, coordinated by the Ministry of Communications, providing connectivity to universities, research centers, schools, hospitals, and public access points. Revenue derives from government program funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Telebras is a Brazilian state-owned telecommunications integrator that operates integrated satellite and terrestrial fiber networks for government and underserved regions. The company provides SCM telecommunications services to the Brazilian Federal Administration under Law 14.744/2024 (with mandatory preference), satellite broadband via the SGDC geostationary satellite, and wholesale fiber backbone services to telecom operators and ISPs. It also executes digital inclusion programs such as Wi-Fi Brasil/GESAC and Norte Conectado, while pursuing a new multi-orbit satellite broadband partnership with SpaceSail.

Product overview

Telebras operates as a multi-orbit connectivity integrator providing a comprehensive telecommunications portfolio. The core infrastructure consists of a national fiber optic backbone (over 30,000 km) combined with the SGDC geostationary satellite (58 Gbps capacity in Ka-band for commercial use and X-band for military). Satellite services are managed through COPE-P (primary operations center in Brasília) and COPE-S (secondary in Rio de Janeiro), supported by three terrestrial gateways. The product portfolio includes terrestrial fiber solutions, satellite connectivity, point-to-point links (P2P), and MPLS-based L3VPN services for government and enterprise segments. Government connectivity programs include Wi-Fi Brasil/GESAC (connecting public institutions) and Norte Conectado (Amazon riverbed fiber). The company also holds 49% in Visiona Tecnologia Espacial, a joint venture with Embraer for satellite technology development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Backbone de Fibra Óptica National fiber optic backbone network spanning over 30,000 kilometers, primarily using OPGW (Optical Ground Wire) technology along power transmission infrastructure, providing high-capacity connectivity across Brazil for government, telecom operators, and ISPs.
• SGDC (Satélite Geoestacionário de Defesa e Comunicações Estratégicas) Brazil's first geostationary defense and strategic communications satellite with 58 Gbps total capacity using HTS (High-Throughput Satellite) technology. Operates multi-spot beams in Ka-band for commercial broadband and X-band (30% of capacity) for exclusive military use, positioned 36,000 km from Earth and operated exclusively by Brazilian personnel in military-controlled facilities.
• Soluções Satelitais (Satellite Connectivity Solutions) Satellite connectivity solutions offering national coverage through the SGDC infrastructure, serving government agencies, businesses, and remote communities with broadband services.
• Soluções Terrestres (Terrestrial Connectivity Solutions) Terrestrial fiber optic connectivity solutions for government and enterprise customers, leveraging Telebras's national fiber backbone to provide customized connectivity.
• Ponto a Ponto P2P Point-to-point dedicated connectivity services for enterprise and government customers requiring direct site-to-site links.
• L3VPN - MPLS MPLS-based Layer 3 VPN services for secure enterprise and government site interconnection across multiple locations.
• Wi-Fi Brasil (GESAC) Government program providing free high-speed internet connectivity to public institutions including universities, research centers, schools, hospitals, and community telecenters. Connected approximately 17,000 public access points across 3,000+ municipalities by mid-2022.
• Norte Conectado Government program installing fiber optic cables along Amazon riverbeds to provide high-speed internet connectivity to remote areas while minimizing environmental impact.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,000+ public access points connected, including 11,000+ schools and 3,000 municipalities via Wi-Fi Brasil / GESAC program by June 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SpaceSail (Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Telebras signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese satellite operator SpaceSail to provide satellite internet services in underserved regions of Brazil, with services expected to launch in 2026. SpaceSail plans to operate 324 low-orbit satellites and install six access stations in Brazil, including in São Paulo and Brasília, competing directly with Starlink. The partnership represents Telebras' strategy to expand satellite coverage through multi-orbit capabilities.
• Visiona Tecnologia Espacial S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Telebras holds 49% of the capital stock of Visiona Tecnologia Espacial S.A., a joint venture with Embraer, constituted on June 14, 2011, headquartered in São José dos Campos. Visiona specializes in satellite research, specification, development, certification, manufacturing, maintenance, engineering, integration, and commercialization of satellites and aerospace systems for Brazil's defense and governmental strategic communications under the National Defense Strategy.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Claro Brasil (América Móvil): Claro (via Embratel) operates a satellite ground network and one of Brazil's largest telecom footprints. It competes with Telebras in enterprise/government connectivity and in the wholesale fiber/backbone market.
• Embratel: Embratel is a major Brazilian telecom incumbent and historically a subsidiary of Telebras before the 1998 privatization. Today it is a Claro (América Móvil) asset that provides enterprise, wholesale, and government connectivity nationwide, overlapping with Telebras's fiber and satellite service portfolio.
• Vivo (Telefônica Brasil): Vivo is Brazil's largest mobile operator and a major fixed-line/fiber provider. It overlaps with Telebras's federal government connectivity and fiber backbone/wholesale services, and is a potential wholesale buyer of Telebras backbone capacity.
• Oi (em recuperação judicial): Oi is a major Brazilian incumbent telecom in judicial restructuring with a national fiber footprint and significant wholesale capacity. It is a potential wholesale customer of Telebras as well as a competitor for enterprise and government fiber contracts.

Direct peers

• Hughes Network Systems: Hughes is a global satellite broadband provider operating GEO HTS capacity and consumer/SMB terminals. It is comparable to Telebras's SGDC Ka-band wholesale and managed satellite broadband service to ISPs and government customers in Brazil.
• SES: SES operates a multi-orbit fleet (GEO + MEO O3b) and is a leading global satellite capacity provider. Telebras's planned SGDC + SpaceSail multi-orbit strategy mirrors SES's multi-orbit approach, making SES a comparable peer in satellite services for governments and telcos.
• Starlink (SpaceX): Starlink operates a LEO satellite broadband constellation with significant share of Brazil's satellite internet market (~49% as of late 2024). Telebras explicitly positions its SpaceSail partnership to compete against Starlink, making it the most directly comparable competitor in satellite broadband for underserved Brazilian regions.
• Viasat: Viasat operates GEO HTS satellite capacity delivering broadband to consumers, enterprises, and governments globally. It competes with Telebras's SGDC Ka-band commercial offering in Brazil and Latin America, including in defense and government segments.
• Intelsat: Intelsat is a major GEO satellite operator serving media, government, and telecom customers. It is comparable to Telebras's SGDC operations in commercial Ka-band broadband and X-band-style defense communications.

Regional players

• Hispamar (Hispasat group): Hispamar operates the Amazonas satellites covering Latin America including Brazil, serving government, defense, and enterprise connectivity. It overlaps with Telebras's SGDC service profile in the Brazilian/LATAM market and is the most relevant regional GEO competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/telebrasbr
• Facebookfacebook.com/telebrasbr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/telebras

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Telebras