Chilean IT multinational Sonda is evaluating PPPs and fiber optic network concessions in different Brazilian states, especially those in the northern and northeastern regions, while still evaluates the entry of an investor for its broader data center operation.
Both segments are deemed strategic for the company’s business looking ahead, CEO of the Brazilian operation, Ricardo Scheffer, told journalists on Tuesday (November 5).
“Until this moment, we have not made any formal decision. This is still open and we have not yet made any decision,” Scheffer told BNamericas about a previous shortlist of players.
The executive said that the Chilean group continues to evaluate data center investors, that it always seeks to operate the segment through partners, and that it does not believe in a single service model, such as on-premise or in the cloud, but a hybrid one.
In Brazil, the company announced investments of 190 million reais (US$34.7mn) in 2026 for the expansion of connectivity solutions. This represents a 12% increase over the 170 million reais allocated in 2025.
From 2023-26, investments in this area are expected to total 520 million reais. Among ongoing projects, launched in 2022, Sonda said it has already invested more than 1.3 billion reais.
The chief one is Mato Grosso do Sul’s Infovia Digital, a PPP awarded to Sonda in 2021 with a total value of 887 million reais.
The fiber optic network, which was implemented in 2024, spans 7,000km and connects 79 municipalities and over 1,600 government facilities, including schools, hospitals and state departments.
Under the PPP model, Sonda can subcontract services and generate revenue. According to Germano Vieira, Sonda’s director of digital communications, 52 service contracts have been signed so far under the Infovia initiative. Recent deals include agreements with TIM and Vivo for use of the network in the state, said Vieira.
Another project, this one a concession, is Goiás de Fibra. Awarded by Goiás government earlier this year, the network is expected to be completed within 18 months. Under the concession format, Sonda operates the network but cannot exploit the infrastructure commercially.
However, the state government is currently studying the possibility of converting the concession into a PPP, said Scheffer.
The five-year contract, valued at 484 million reais, entails connecting 2,200 public service points including schools, hospitals and security units, reaching 5.1 million residents.
The Goiás network will rely on optical rings to ensure data, voice and Wi-Fi security, redundancy and availability, and encompasses information security services, staff training, equipment provision, software licensing and specialized labor.
Key equipment has already been delivered, and service operations are expected to begin by the end of 1Q26, according to Vieira.
In both cases, Sonda works with a pool of suppliers that includes Furukawa (Lightera), Prysmian, Huawei and Fortinet.
As previously reported by BNamericas, Sonda is also mulling fiber projects with regional governments in Chile and Mexico.
Opportunities
In the third quarter of this year, Sonda closed deals worth US$1.3bn, a 2.9% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
As of the end of September, the company reported a pipeline of potential business opportunities worth US$7.595bn, up from US$7.257bn at the end of June. Brazil accounts for US$3.202bn of that figure, and the Southern Cone for US$2.106bn.
This pipeline represents a 43.1% increase from December 2024.
Overall, the company reported revenues of US$1.15bn, up 3.1% year-on-year in reporting currency and 5.2% in constant currency.
Among its business wins in Q3, Sonda highlighted a contract in Chile to migrate and consolidate a “major private pension provider”’s technology infrastructure. This project involved shifting services to a private cloud and includes backup, operational continuity, disaster recovery planning and cybersecurity.
The company also implemented a radiology information system (RIS) and a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) to support a telemedicine and diagnostic imaging network with operations in Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
Another disclosed win involved migrating the entire infrastructure of a key Santiago transport provider to the public cloud.
In Brazil, Sonda highlighted a new service desk and field services deal. This contract uses artificial intelligence to automate customer service, and also involves the deployment of a network operations center (NOC) with autonomous support, robotic process automation (RPA), and generative AI virtual assistant.
The company also said that it closed a major business support model deal one of Latin America’s leading hospital groups.
In Colombia, Sonda highlighted a “Device as a Service” contract with a major hotel chain. The project spans several countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Jamaica, Mexico, El Salvador and Panama.
The company also reported projects in disruptive technologies for the mining, utilities and retail sectors.
In Peru, Sonda will deliver consulting services to a major mining firm to identify operational gaps and make recommendations.
In Chile, it signed deals to operate centralized AI agents for one of th biggest local miners; to provide automated remote substation inspection for a transmission company; and to deploy a self-managed AI system with image recognition for a large retailer.
(The original version of this content was written in English)
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