The Board of Directors of the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) granted permission for the transfer of control of Oi Serviços Telefônicos to Método Telecomunicações e Comércio Ltda., however, this authorization came with a series of requirements that must be met for the transaction to be finalized.
The deliberation was reached by consensus during an extraordinary meeting of the body. According to information reported by Estadão, the vote was presented by council member Edson Holanda and supported by the other members of the Board of Directors.
The completion of the sale depends on compliance with regulatory standards and the continuation of agreements previously assumed by Oi. Among the requirements imposed by Anatel are the formal acceptance of these commitments by Método, the delivery of financial guarantees validated by the agency, the creation of a plan for the reallocation of numbering resources, and the signing of an addendum to the previous Settlement Agreement. Furthermore, Método must respect all determinations resulting from Oi's bankruptcy.
Conditions for the approval of the transfer
Holanda emphasized during the meeting that his assessment indicated that the approval of the control transfer was strictly linked to the formal assumption of commitments by Método. He justified this necessity due to Oi's economic situation, aiming to ensure that all agreements would be fully executed after the change in management.
Anatel also required Método to present a detailed plan for the transfer of operations, with the aim of preventing any interruption during the control change process. Additionally, it is mandatory that the conditions necessary for the agency to maintain its supervisory function over the services are preserved.
Oi's former fixed telephony concession had been terminated two years ago, at which time the service provision model changed from concession to authorization. This change occurred through the Settlement Agreement signed between Oi, Anatel, and the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) in 2024. With the migration to the authorization regime, Oi was permitted to deactivate part of its network and commercialize copper cables and properties of old telephone exchanges. This strategy aimed to reduce the high maintenance costs of a structure linked to a service considered outdated and no longer generating sufficient revenue for the company.
In return, Oi committed to keeping the fixed telephony service active until December 2028 in areas where it was the sole responsible provider, in addition to fulfilling other regulatory obligations. Currently, these commitments must be formally assumed by Método.
Anatel's decision maintains the responsibilities related to voice service operation in locations where Oi acts as Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) until December 2028. Three-digit and interconnection services for voice traffic must also continue to be provided. For this transfer of obligations to be possible, an addendum to the Settlement Agreement established in 2024 will be indispensable.
However, the infrastructure investments planned in the 2024 agreement will not be transferred to Método. Anatel defined that such obligations will remain the responsibility of Oi and V.tal, a company controlled by BTG Pactual. These investments initially totaled a minimum of R$ 5.8 billion and could reach R$ 10.2 billion if Oi obtained the expected amounts in arbitration filed against Anatel, seeking reimbursement for losses suffered during the concession period. When the Settlement Agreement was signed, Oi was already facing cash flow difficulties, which is why the company formed a partnership with V.tal to share the costs of the assumed commitments. In this arrangement, Oi ceded to V.tal the resources it expected to receive from the arbitration against Anatel, although the outcome of this dispute remains undefined.