Brazil Begins Removing 38,000 Public Payphones as Fixed-Line Concessions Expire

Overview

• Anatel has launched the nationwide decommissioning in 2026, with Oi already taking down units and other carriers preparing their timelines.
• Algar, Claro and Telefônica await detailed guidance from Anatel on how their removals will proceed, while Sercomtel will keep phones in Londrina and Tamarana until its shift to the private regime is completed.
• Sector data list 38,354 payphones still installed, including 33,346 active and 4,497 under maintenance, with the largest share concentrated in São Paulo and more than a thousand in both Bahia and Maranhão.
• The legal obligation to maintain public phones ended with the 2025 closeout of fixed-telephony concessions, but companies must ensure voice service in monopoly areas until December 31, 2028 using any technology.
• Shrinking usage due to mobile adoption has left most units idle for months, making upkeep economically unsustainable and driving the removals.