SÃO PAULO (WiMAX Day). The Brazilian WiMAX operator Neovia announced last week that expects it will soon close on a new round of financing. The company did not disclose the total amount of capital it seeks, but only that it expects to close on a new round by the end of February.

Neovia chairman Mauricio Coutinho said that an influx of capital may come from existing and possibly new investors. Current investors in Neovia include Intel Capital, and local investment firms Vanguard, Stratus and Decisã.

According to an Agência Estado press release, Neovia is preparing to upgrade its network to allow for mobile WiMAX services, and will commit new capital to this network upgrade. This will allow the company to “adopt a mobile version of the service in 2009.”

For Neovia, the addition of mobile services will allow “the customer to have one method to access the internet at home, at beach or in the field.”

While the company presently offers fixed WiMAX services, it must plan investment for future mobile services. “Investment in the network is the same for fixed and mobile versions, what the difference is the device of access to the final consumer,” said Coutinho.

Before Neovia can adopt mobile services, it will require the approval of the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), which presently restricts mobility for WiMAX in Brazil.

Neovia obtained a license for 3.5 GHz spectrum in the area of Sao Paulo in 2002. The company hopes to gain new licenses at auction soon that will allow for network expansion to cover the areas of Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Curitiba.

As of the end of 2007, the company had 35,000 users in its network. It provides coverage in São Paulo, including 52 municipalities, and regions such as São José dos Campos, Campinas, Sorocaba and Ribeirão Preto.

In August lat year, Neovia awarded a contract to Redline Communications to build-out the first stage of its new network, which at the time was estimated to cost US$30 million.