ANATEL Act 14158: Brazil's New 5 GHz & RF Limits

Brazil's ANATEL Act 14158: New 5 GHz and Restricted-Radiation Rules Now in Force

Brazil's telecommunications regulator, ANATEL, has revised the technical baseline for restricted-radiation radiocommunication equipment through Ato nº 14158, de 1º de outubro de 2025. The act amends the country's two foundational instruments for this product class Ato nº 14448/2017 (technical requirements for conformity assessment) and Ato nº 237/2022 (test procedures) and tightens the limits that govern everyday wireless hardware, including the 5 GHz bands used by Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 devices.

The act entered into force on publication and has been mandatory since 6 April 2026. That single compliance date applies to the entire instrument, including the 5 GHz changes. Any product certified or homologated for the Brazilian market must now be assessed against the revised requirements.

Primary source (ANATEL): Ato nº 14158, de 1º de outubro de 2025

What ANATEL Act 14158 changes

Ato nº 14158 is an omnibus amendment rather than a single-band update. It revises definitions, frequency conditions, power limits, and test methods across several equipment categories. The most commercially significant changes are:

• 5 GHz access points and client devices: revised conducted output power, spectral-density limits, antenna-gain handling, and outdoor EIRP constraints in the 5,150–5,250 MHz band (item 11.1.1), with related adjustments across the 5,150–5,725 MHz range and reinforced DFS/TPC behaviour.

• Vehicle and airport radar: a new "vehicle radar" definition (item 3.1.49); conditions for 46.7–46.9 GHz vehicle radar (item 9.2); and authorisation of 76–81 GHz radar in airport areas, with airborne radar permitted on the ground only (items 9.5.5 and 9.8).

• Millimetre-wave systems: the 57–64 GHz scope is broadened to 57–71 GHz (item 17), with field-disturbance sensors permitted in portable consumer devices such as smartphones and tablets under defined limits, plus a new high-frequency section covering equipment up to the 116–123 GHz range.

• Wireless audio / PMSE: adoption of ETSI EN 300 422-1 V2.2.1 (item 2.27) and a new item 20.2 defining limits and test conditions for digital multichannel wireless audio (microphones, in-ear monitors, and similar professional systems).

• Updated test procedures: Ato nº 237/2022 is amended to add methods such as EIRP measurement at elevation angles above 30°, referencing FCC KDB 789033 D02.

  
  

The 5 GHz updates in detail

For mass-market Wi-Fi hardware, the headline changes sit in item 11.1.1 of Annex I to Ato nº 14448 (introduced by Article 6 of Ato nº 14158). An access point operating between 5,150 and 5,250 MHz must meet:

• Conducted output power limited to 30 dBm (1 W).

• Conducted power spectral density limited to 17 dBm/MHz (50 mW/MHz).

• Antenna-gain rule: where the directional antenna gain exceeds 6 dBi, both the conducted output power and the spectral density must be reduced by the number of dB by which the gain exceeds 6 dBi.

• Outdoor operation: EIRP limited to 21 dBm (125 mW) for any elevation angle above 30° relative to the horizon.

  
  

Related provisions tighten the upper 5 GHz sub-bands. Equipment operating between 5,470 and 5,725 MHz (item 11.3) is limited to the lesser of 24 dBm (250 mW) or 11 dBm + 10·log(B), where B is the bandwidth in MHz, with conducted spectral density capped at 11 dBm/MHz. Across the 5 GHz range, ANATEL reinforces dynamic frequency selection (DFS) and transmit power control (TPC) expectations and constrains the ability of users to change region settings or disable compliance features.

These limits cover the radios inside smartphones, laptops, routers, and access points which is why the update reaches well beyond specialist RF products.

Effective date: why "6 April 2026" is the date that matters

This is the point most worth getting right. Article 20 of Ato nº 14158 sets a single mandatory-application date of 06/04/2026 (6 April 2026) for the whole act, with no separate, later deadline carved out for the 5 GHz provisions. Independent certification bodies and consultancies tracking the act report the same single date.

In short: the 5 GHz (5,150–5,250 MHz) requirements are not on a separate timeline running to October 2026. They became mandatory on 6 April 2026, alongside the rest of the act. Treating the 5 GHz rules as still optional would leave affected products non-compliant today.

Note on later amendments: ANATEL subsequently published Ato nº 4746, de 2 de abril de 2026, which amends Ato nº 14158. Its full text was not machine-retrievable at the time of writing; nothing located indicates that it introduces a new, extended October 2026 deadline for the 5 GHz band. Confirm the scope of Ato nº 4746 against the primary source before relying on any revised date.

What this means for manufacturers

For manufacturers, importers, and regulatory affairs teams placing wireless products on the Brazilian market, the practical implications are:

• The requirements are already live. Because the mandatory date has passed, conformity assessment for in-scope products must already reflect the Ato nº 14158 parameters. New homologation requests are evaluated against the revised limits.

• Local testing still applies. Conformity assessment is coordinated by a Designated Certification Body (OCD) and conducted at an ANATEL-accredited laboratory in Brazil. FCC or CE reports may support the technical file but do not replace mandatory in-country testing.

• 5 GHz designs may need re-characterisation. Revised conducted power, spectral-density, antenna-gain, and outdoor EIRP limits mean some existing 5 GHz radio designs and test reports require re-verification, particularly for outdoor and high-gain configurations.

• Firmware and regional-lock controls matter. Devices are expected to restrict operation to approved Brazilian sub-bands and prevent users from disabling DFS/TPC or changing region settings.

• Categories beyond Wi-Fi are affected. Automotive radar, mmWave sensing in consumer devices, and professional wireless audio (PMSE) all fall within the amendment's scope and have their own updated criteria.

  
  

Certification impact summary

Area	Position under Ato nº 14158	Impact on certification
Legal status	In force on publication; mandatory from 6 April 2026 (Art. 20)	Requirements already apply to current homologation activity
Instruments amended	Ato nº 14448/2017 (technical requirements) and Ato nº 237/2022 (test procedures)	Both the technical file and the test methodology are affected
5 GHz (5,150–5,250 MHz)	Item 11.1.1: 30 dBm conducted, 17 dBm/MHz PSD, gain-reduction rule, 21 dBm outdoor EIRP >30°	Re-verify 5 GHz radio designs and reports; outdoor/high-gain configurations most exposed
Upper 5 GHz (5,470–5,725 MHz)	Item 11.3: ≤24 dBm or 11 dBm + 10·log(B); 11 dBm/MHz PSD	Confirm conducted power and PSD compliance
DFS / TPC	Reinforced across 5 GHz bands	Validate detection behaviour and region-lock firmware
Radar (46.7–46.9 GHz; 76–81 GHz)	New vehicle-radar definition; airport radar allowed; airborne radar ground-only	New/updated assessment path for automotive and radar products
mmWave 57–71 GHz; up to 116–123 GHz	Expanded scope; portable-device sensors permitted under limits	New scope for mmWave sensing and high-frequency devices
Wireless audio / PMSE	ETSI EN 300 422-1 (item 2.27); new item 20.2	Updated criteria for microphones, IEMs, and multichannel audio
Local testing	OCD-coordinated, ANATEL-accredited lab in Brazil	Foreign reports support but do not replace in country testing

Timeline and required actions

Date	Milestone	Required action
1 October 2025	Ato nº 14158 published (Boletim de Serviço Eletrônico, 8 October 2025); in force on publication	Begin gap analysis of affected product lines against revised limits
2 April 2026	Ato nº 4746 published, amending Ato nº 14158	Verify the scope of Ato nº 4746 against the primary source and update internal records
6 April 2026	Mandatory application date for the entire act, including 5 GHz	Ensure conformity assessment and homologation reflect the new parameters
Now (post-6 April 2026)	Requirements live for new and ongoing certification	Re-test/re-characterise non-conforming 5 GHz, radar, mmWave, and PMSE products; confirm firmware region-lock and DFS/TPC behaviour
Ongoing	Market surveillance and homologation maintenance	Update technical files and labelling; schedule certificate maintenance with your OCD