Brazil 6 GHz Wi-Fi Standard Power: ANATEL Opens AFC Consultations
Brazil 6 GHz Wi-Fi Standard Power: ANATEL Proposes AFC-Controlled Outdoor Wi-Fi and New Certification Requirements in the 5,925–6,425 MHz Band
Brazil is moving toward a regulatory framework for higher-power outdoor Wi-Fi in the lower 6 GHz band. On September 25, 2026, the National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) opened Public Consultation No. 41/2026 and Public Consultation No. 42/2026, both available on the Participa Anatel platform for 70 days.
Together, the two proposals would allow Standard Power Wi-Fi equipment, including Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 devices, to operate outdoors in the 5,925–6,425 MHz band under the control of Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) systems. CP 41/2026 sets the technical, operational and test requirements that equipment must meet for ANATEL certification, while CP 42/2026 establishes the rules for the AFC systems themselves, including their technical requirements and registration with the Agency.
Regulatory background
Wi-Fi operation in Brazil's 6 GHz band has been permitted since 2021, but outdoor use has been constrained by low power limits. Brazil has since reserved only the lower 500 MHz (5,925–6,425 MHz) for Wi-Fi, while the upper portion (6,425–7,125 MHz) is earmarked for mobile (IMT) services, with an auction currently planned for 2028 and under separate consultation (CP 37/2026).
The new consultations are the practical follow-up to a 2022 call for input in which ANATEL first gathered market views on AFC. According to the Agency, the goal is to extend the latest Wi-Fi generations beyond indoor environments while protecting incumbent radiocommunication systems, mainly fixed microwave links, already operating in the band. Target use cases include end-user connectivity, utilities, industry, logistics, IoT and public services across public spaces, industrial sites and rural areas.
What ANATEL Proposes for Brazil 6 GHz Wi-Fi Standard Power
CP 41/2026 — Equipment certification requirements
The draft Act under CP 41/2026 amends two existing ANATEL certification documents for restricted radiation equipment:
Ato nº 14.448/2017 — Technical Requirements for Conformity Assessment of Restricted Radiation Radiocommunication Equipment; and
Ato nº 237/2022 — Test Procedures for Conformity Assessment of Restricted Radiation Radiocommunication Equipment.
It introduces three new equipment categories: the Standard Power Access Point (autonomous, when it communicates directly with the AFC system, or non-autonomous, when it communicates through a proxy), the Fixed Client Device, and client equipment operating under a Standard Power Access Point. It also defines the Outdoor Wi-Fi Neutral Infrastructure Operator and the Outdoor Wi-Fi Neutral Infrastructure, enabling shared outdoor networks that serve users of multiple providers.
Proposed technical limits (5,925–6,425 MHz)
Parameter | Standard Power AP / Fixed Client Device | Client under Standard Power AP |
Maximum mean EIRP | 36 dBm (4 W) | 30 dBm, and 6 dB below the EIRP authorized by the AFC for its associated AP |
Maximum mean EIRP PSD | 23 dBm/MHz | 17 dBm/MHz |
Elevation mask (outdoor) | Max. 21 dBm (125 mW) EIRP at any elevation angle above 30° from the horizon | — |
Spurious and out-of-band emissions | Existing limits (items 11.7.4 and 11.7.5) | Existing limits |
Prohibited platforms | Oil platforms, land vehicles (e.g., trains, cars), vessels and aircraft | — |
Proposed operational requirements
Under the draft, Standard Power Access Points and Fixed Client Devices must:
Register with, and be authorized by, an ANATEL-authorized AFC system before transmitting, either directly or through a proxy that may serve multiple non-autonomous APs.
Validate the AFC server's digital certificate (trusted Certificate Authority and matching Subject Alternative Name). If validation fails, the device must abort the connection and may not transmit at Standard Power.
Submit minimum registration data: geographic coordinates in the SIRGAS2000 reference system with their uncertainty, antenna height above ground, and device identification including serial number and ANATEL homologation number.
Transmit only on the frequencies and power levels the AFC system authorizes for the installation location, and request new authorization whenever any registration parameter changes.
Communicate with the AFC system over a channel outside 5,925–6,425 MHz, using HTTPS with TLS 1.2 or higher.
Query the AFC system at least once every 24 hours. If contact fails, the device may continue operating only until 23:59 of the following day, after which it must cease transmission until contact is restored.
Protect firmware and radio-control software against unauthorized modification.
Provide geolocation capability, internal or via a secure, manufacturer-approved external source, with location uncertainty in metres at a confidence level of at least 95%, reported automatically at activation, after reboot or whenever parameters change.
Avoid co-channel and adjacent-channel operation inside exclusion zones around fixed microwave systems, as determined by the AFC system.
The draft also clarifies that a channel or power level made available by an AFC system confers no exclusivity or priority over the spectrum, since operation remains under the restricted radiation (licence-exempt) regime.
Proposed test procedures
The amendment to Ato 237/2022 adopts the Wi-Fi Alliance AFC specification set as normative references:
AFC Device (AFC DUT) Compliance Test Plan, Version 1.7
AFC System to AFC Device Interface Specification, Version 1.5
AFC System Reference Model, Version 1.0
AFC Specification and Test Plans Overview
Laboratories would use an AFC DUT Test Harness to emulate an AFC system and verify device behaviour, with a spectrum analyzer monitoring power and frequency in each scenario. The draft maps each requirement to a specific test case (for example, AFCD.RSA for registration and spectrum access, AFCD.USV for unsuccessful server validation, AFCD.SAU for spectrum access updates and AFCD.USA for denied access). Firmware protection and geolocation implementation would be demonstrated through a manufacturer's declaration of conformity supported by a technical report.
CP 42/2026 — AFC system framework
CP 42/2026 addresses the AFC systems that will coordinate Standard Power operation. It proposes technical and operational requirements for AFC systems and procedures for their registration and authorization by ANATEL. AFC systems would draw on ANATEL's Technical and Administrative Database (BDTA) to determine, by location, which frequencies and maximum power levels are available, protecting incumbent stations. Requirements for AFC operators focus on technical capability, security and reliability. The AFC system is also central to the proposed neutral-host model, where it would coordinate spectrum for a single outdoor network serving users of multiple operators.
Certification Impact Summary
Area | Current situation | Proposed under CP 41/2026 |
Outdoor 6 GHz operation | Permitted with low power limits | Standard Power outdoors under AFC control |
Maximum EIRP (AP / fixed client) | Low-power limits only | 36 dBm EIRP; 23 dBm/MHz PSD; 21 dBm above 30° elevation |
Equipment categories | Indoor AP, subordinate AP, client | Adds Standard Power AP (autonomous / non-autonomous), Fixed Client Device, proxy |
AFC functionality | Not required | Mandatory registration with an ANATEL-authorized AFC system |
Normative test references | Existing restricted radiation procedures | Adds Wi-Fi Alliance AFC DUT Compliance Test Plan v1.7 and related specifications |
Test set-up | Conventional RF testing | AFC DUT Test Harness plus spectrum analyzer monitoring |
Documentation | Standard technical file | Adds declarations and technical reports on firmware security and geolocation |
Labelling / identification | Homologation number | Homologation number must also be reported to the AFC system at registration |
What This Means for Manufacturers
A new certification pathway, not an automatic upgrade. Existing ANATEL certificates for low-power indoor 6 GHz equipment would not cover Standard Power outdoor operation. Products intended for this mode will need to be assessed against the new AFC-related requirements and test cases.
Global AFC work can be leveraged. Because ANATEL proposes the Wi-Fi Alliance AFC test plans and interface specifications as normative references, devices already developed for AFC markets such as the United States and Canada should have a strong technical baseline. Manufacturers should still confirm Brazil-specific parameters, including SIRGAS2000 coordinates, the 36 dBm / 23 dBm/MHz limits, the 21 dBm elevation mask, the 24-hour re-check cycle and the operating grace period.
Only the lower 500 MHz is available. Brazil limits Wi-Fi to 5,925–6,425 MHz. Firmware, channel plans and regional settings must restrict operation to this range; 320 MHz Wi-Fi 7 channels will have limited placement options.
Security and geolocation documentation become certification deliverables. Manufacturers should prepare technical reports explaining firmware and radio-software protection, secure external geolocation connections and the method for calculating location uncertainty.
Deployment restrictions affect product positioning. Standard Power APs and fixed clients may not be installed on vehicles, trains, vessels, aircraft or oil platforms, which should be reflected in product documentation and marketing claims for Brazil.
Neutral-host opportunities. The explicit recognition of shared outdoor Wi-Fi infrastructure creates demand for APs and management platforms that support multi-operator authentication, roaming and proxy-based AFC registration.
The consultation is a window to shape the rules. Manufacturers, chipset vendors and AFC providers can submit comments on technical limits, test references, transition rules and drafting points before ANATEL finalizes the texts.
Timeline and Required Actions
Date / stage | Milestone | Required action |
2021 | 6 GHz Wi-Fi permitted in Brazil with outdoor power limits | — |
2022 | ANATEL call for input on AFC | — |
September 25, 2026 | CP 41/2026 and CP 42/2026 open on Participa Anatel | Review both draft texts and the supporting report (Informe nº 33/2026/ORCN/SOR, SEI process 53500.028894/2026-75) |
October–November 2026 | Consultation period (70 days) | Perform gap analysis of 6 GHz product lines against the proposed limits and AFC requirements; coordinate with test labs and OCDs |
Approx. early December 2026 | Consultation closes | Submit contributions via Participa Anatel |
After consultation | ANATEL reviews contributions and publishes final Acts | Monitor ANATEL's Electronic Service Bulletin for publication |
Upon publication | Acts enter into force on publication (per draft Art. 3) | Begin certification of Standard Power APs and Fixed Client Devices; update technical files, firmware and user documentation |
Recommended action checklist
Identify all 6 GHz products that may be marketed in Brazil for outdoor or Standard Power use.
Compare device capabilities with the proposed EIRP, PSD, elevation mask and client power rules.
Confirm AFC client implementation against the Wi-Fi Alliance test plan v1.7 and interface specification v1.5.
Prepare technical reports on firmware security and geolocation accuracy.
Plan certification timelines with an ANATEL-designated OCD and accredited laboratory.
Submit comments on CP 41/2026 and CP 42/2026 before the deadline.
