ANATEL 6 GHz Wi-Fi Band Cut to 500 MHz in Brazil

Brazil: ANATEL Restricts 6 GHz Wi-Fi to 5925–6425 MHz from March 2027

Brazil has moved to reserve the upper half of the 6 GHz band for mobile services, narrowing the spectrum that Wi-Fi devices may use. On 12 August 2026, Brazil's telecommunications regulator, ANATEL (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações), formalized the change through Acórdão nº 203 and Ato nº 10.400, which amend Ato nº 14.448 the technical requirements for the conformity assessment of restricted-radiation radiocommunication equipment. The decision was approved unanimously by the Board of Directors (Conselho Diretor) on 11 August 2026 within Circuito Deliberativo nº 190, with Counselor Alexandre Freire as rapporteur.

For broadband wireless local area network (RLAN) products the category that covers Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 the band eligible for certification in Brazil is reduced from 5925–7125 MHz (1200 MHz) to 5925–6425 MHz (500 MHz). The upper 6425–7125 MHz (700 MHz) is removed from Wi-Fi use and set aside for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), including future 5G Advanced and 6G deployments.

Inside the ANATEL 6 GHz Wi-Fi restriction

The ANATEL 6 GHz Wi-Fi restriction is a type approval (conformity assessment) measure, not a standalone spectrum allocation act. It operationalizes an earlier spectrum-strategy decision: on 31 December 2024, ANATEL revised the Plan of Allocation, Destination and Distribution of Frequency Bands (PDFF) to split the 6 GHz band between unlicensed Wi-Fi (lower portion) and IMT/mobile (upper portion). Ato nº 10.400/2026 now carries that split into the equipment certification rules by editing the RLAN provisions of Ato nº 14.448.

Two points of precision matter for compliance teams:

• The restriction targets the certification category defined in Ato nº 14.448 as Sistema de Acesso sem Fio em Banda Larga para Redes Locais (broadband wireless access systems for local networks) i.e., Wi-Fi/RLAN. In practical terms, products in this category will no longer be certified to operate in 6425–7125 MHz.

• This is distinct from a blanket prohibition on every restricted radiation application in 6425–7125 MHz. The instrument amended is the RLAN conformity requirement specifically.

  
  

ANATEL grounded the decision in laboratory tests, field tests and coexistence simulations between Wi-Fi and IMT. In co channel and partially overlapping scenarios, the studies reported severe Wi-Fi throughput degradation (in some cases exceeding 90%, up to a full loss) alongside meaningful IMT degradation; interference was substantially lower where the technologies used adjacent, non overlapping channels. The measure is also consistent with the international momentum toward upper 6 GHz IMT following WRC-23, while remaining a national decision taken under Brazil's own spectrum plan.

Effective date and transition period

Ato nº 10.400/2026 is already in force from its publication in ANATEL's Boletim de Serviço Eletrônico. However, compliance becomes mandatory on 1 March 2027. This distinction publication/commencement versus the effective date of the obligation is important for planning.

For products holding ANATEL certificates (Certificado de Conformidade Técnica) that remain valid beyond 1 March 2027, alignment with the new 5925–6425 MHz range will be required at the applicable periodic maintenance of certification, creating a managed transition rather than an immediate recall of certified stock.

What this means for manufacturers

Manufacturers of Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 equipment intended for the Brazilian market should treat this as a mandatory configuration change with a firm 2027 deadline, not an optional tuning exercise.

• Constrain the Brazil regulatory domain to 5925–6425 MHz. Products must ensure their Brazilian configuration limits 6 GHz operation to the lower band; operation across 6425–7125 MHz must be disabled for Brazil once the requirement becomes mandatory.

• Firmware and regulatory-domain control are central. Ato nº 14.448 has, since the 6 GHz framework was introduced, required that devices adapt their operating channels to the bands ANATEL permits, and that re-enabling the full 5925–7125 MHz range is only allowed if ANATEL itself changes the technical requirements. Automatic/remote firmware update capability that locks the Brazil profile to 5925–6425 MHz is the practical mechanism.

• Inventory and roadmap review. Identify SKUs currently certified (or in the certification pipeline) with full band 6 GHz support, and separate those needing a firmware limited Brazil variant from those already constrained.

• Coordinate with your OCD and lab. Confirm whether affected certificates will be updated at periodic maintenance or require a new/updated assessment, and align documentation, labeling and user manual statements to the 5925–6425 MHz range.

• Watch the outdoor/standard-power track. ANATEL has signaled a separate consultation on lower-6 GHz outdoor (standard power) Wi-Fi supported by Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC); this could expand lower band use cases and is worth monitoring for product roadmaps.

  
  

Certification impact summary

Item	Before Ato nº 10.400/2026	After Ato nº 10.400/2026
Governing instrument	Ato nº 14.448 (restricted radiation conformity requirements)	Ato nº 14.448 as amended by Ato nº 10.400/2026 (with Acórdão nº 203)
Wi-Fi 6 GHz range (RLAN)	5925–7125 MHz	5925–6425 MHz
Bandwidth available to Wi-Fi	1200 MHz	500 MHz
Upper 6425–7125 MHz (700 MHz)	Available to Wi-Fi/RLAN	Reserved for IMT/mobile (not certified for RLAN)
Affected products	—	Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 access points, subordinate APs, clients, VLP devices
New certifications	Full band 6 GHz RLAN certified	RLAN products certified only to 5925–6425 MHz
Existing certificates valid past 1 Mar 2027	Full band configuration	Must be aligned at periodic maintenance of certification
Mechanism of compliance	—	Brazil regulatory domain limited to 5925–6425 MHz via firmware/configuration

Timeline and required actions

Date / milestone	Event	Required manufacturer action
31 Dec 2024	PDFF re-destination splits 6 GHz (Wi-Fi lower / IMT upper)	Note the strategic direction; begin roadmap scoping
11 Aug 2026	Conselho Diretor approves the restriction (Circuito Deliberativo nº 190)	—
12 Aug 2026	Acórdão nº 203 and Ato nº 10.400 published; rule in force on publication	Audit certified and in-pipeline SKUs for full-band 6 GHz support
Aug 2026 – Feb 2027	Transition window	Prepare Brazil firmware/regulatory-domain profile limited to 5925–6425 MHz; align labeling, manuals and technical files; coordinate with OCD/lab
1 Mar 2027	Mandatory compliance date	Ensure all products placed on the market operate only in 5925–6425 MHz for Brazil
Certificate periodic maintenance	Existing certificates valid beyond the deadline	Update configuration and documentation to the new range during maintenance
To be confirmed	Separate ANATEL consultation on outdoor/standard power lower-6 GHz Wi-Fi with AFC	Monitor and contribute where relevant to product plans