Telefonica Brasil (TSPA) Risk Analysis

Our business is subject to extensive regulation, including any regulatory changes that may occur during the terms of our authorizations to provide telecommunication services in Brazil. ANATEL, the Brazilian telecommunications industry regulator, regulates, among other things: - industry policies and regulations;- licensing (including licensing of spectrum and bidding processes);- fees and tariffs;- competition incentives and restrictions (including our ability to grow by acquiring other telecommunications businesses);- service, technical and quality standards;- consumer rights;- penalties and other sanctions;- interconnection and settlement arrangements;- cybersecurity; and - fraud prevention actions. The Brazilian telecommunications regulatory framework is continuously evolving. The interpretation and enforcement of regulations, the assessment of compliance with regulations and the flexibility of regulatory authorities are all marked by uncertainty. We operate under authorizations from the Brazilian government, and our ability to maintain these authorizations is a precondition to our success. However, because of the changing nature of our regulatory framework, we cannot provide assurances that ANATEL will not adversely modify the terms of our authorizations and/or licenses. According to our operating authorizations and licenses, we must meet specific requirements and maintain minimum quality, coverage and service standards. Our failure to comply with such requirements may result in the imposition of fines, penalties and/or other regulatory responses, including the termination of our operating authorizations. Any partial or total termination of any of our operating authorizations and licenses would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, revenues, results of operations and prospects. In recent years, ANATEL has been reviewing and introducing regulatory changes, especially regarding asymmetric competition measures and interconnection fees charged among local providers of telecommunications services. Asymmetric competition measures can include regulations intended to rebalance markets in which a market participant has distinct market power over other competitors. The adoption of disproportionately asymmetric measures could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, revenues, results of operations and prospects. With respect to interconnection fees, these are part of our revenue and cost bases. Such fees are charged by telecommunications service providers to each other in order to allow interconnected use of each other's networks. To the extent that changes to the rules governing interconnection fees reduce the amount of fees we can receive, or our ability to collect such fees, our businesses, financial conditions, revenues, results of operations and prospects could be materially adversely affected. Therefore, our business, results of operations, revenues and financial conditions could be negatively affected by the actions of the Brazilian authorities, including, in particular, the following: - the introduction of new or stricter operational and/or service requirements;- the granting of operating authorizations in our areas;- limitations on interconnection fees that we may charge from other telecommunications service providers;- imposition of significant fines or penalties regarding failures to comply with regulatory obligations; and - antitrust limitations imposed by ANATEL and CADE.

We receive payments for the interconnection of calls in our fixed-line and mobile networks. Interconnection fees were set by ANATEL in March 2023 for both STFC and SMP networks. See "Item 4. Information on the Company-B. Business Overview-Rates, Taxes and Billing-Interconnection fees." However, we cannot assure that new mobile service plans will not be suspended by ANATEL, that current fixed-line or mobile interconnection fees remain the same, or that future negotiations on fixed-line or mobile interconnection rates will result in favorable terms or rates. If current fixed-line or mobile interconnection fees are canceled, or if fixed-line or mobile interconnection fees in the future are changed, our business, financial condition, revenues, results of operations and prospects may be adversely affected.

We are required to comply with anti-corruption laws and regulations in Brazil and in jurisdictions where our securities are traded. In particular, we are subject, in Brazil, to Law No. 12,846/2013, and in the United States, to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977. Additionally, our operations may be subject to, or otherwise affected by, economic sanctions programs and other forms of trade restrictions (hereinafter referred to as sanctions), including those administered by the United States, including the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Although we have internal policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with such anti-corruption laws and sanctions regulations (to the extent applicable), there can be no assurance that such policies and procedures will be sufficient or that our employees, directors, officers, partners, agents and service providers will not take individual actions in violation of our policies and procedures (or otherwise in violation of the relevant anti-corruption and sanctions laws and regulations) for which we, our subsidiaries or such employees, directors, officers, partners, agents and service providers may be ultimately responsible. Violations of such laws and regulations could lead to sanctions, reputational harm, or other legal consequences that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

In 2014, Brazil enacted a law, which we refer to as the Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the Internet (Marco Civil da Internet), setting forth principles, guarantees, rights and duties for the use of the Internet in Brazil, including provisions about internet service provider liability, internet user privacy and internet neutrality. In May 2016, further regulations were passed in connection with the referred law. The administrative penalties imposed by the Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the Internet include notification, fines (up to 10% of the revenues in Brazil of the relevant entity's economic group in the preceding fiscal year) and suspension or prohibition from engaging in data processing activities. The Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the Internet also determines joint and several liability between foreign parent companies and local Brazilian subsidiaries for the payment of fines that may be imposed for breach of its provisions. Administrative penalties may be applied cumulatively. Daily fines may be imposed in judicial proceedings, as a way to compel compliance with a Brazilian court order. If for any reason a company fails to comply with the court order, the fine can reach significant amounts. We may be subject to liability under these laws and regulations should we fail to adequately comply with the Brazilian Civil Rights Framework. However, unlike in the United States, little case law exists around the Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the internet and existing jurisprudence has not been consistent. Legal uncertainty arising from the limited guidance provided by current laws in force allows for different judges or courts to decide very similar claims in different ways and establish contradictory jurisprudence. This legal uncertainty allows for rulings against us and could set adverse precedents, which individually or in the aggregate could seriously harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, legal uncertainty may harm our customers' perception and use of our service.

ANATEL has the authority to issue new regulations affecting many of our areas of operations. Such new regulations could have an adverse effect on our operating results because: (1) ANATEL could significantly reduce the interconnection fees we are able to charge, thereby reducing our revenues (see "-Our results of operations may be negatively affected by changes to STFC or SMP rules"); (2) ANATEL may allow more favorable conditions for economic groups without significant market power; (3) the granting of new licenses may increase competition in our area from other operators, which could adversely affect our prices and/or market share, thereby reducing our revenues; (4) ANATEL may require that revenue received for the usage of the SMP network must be included in the calculation of renewing licenses costs; and (5) ANATEL's general plan of updating the regulations targets several areas of vital importance for our business (including both our fixed-line telephony and mobile businesses), which may cause either an increase in operating costs, an increase in competitive pressure, or a decrease in our revenues, among other adverse effects. For a detailed description of the regulations issued by ANATEL and their impact on our business, see "Item 4. Information on the Company-B. Business Overview-Regulation of the Brazilian Telecommunications Industry."