Brazil: ANATEL Restricted Radiation Equipment 500 kHz Rule
Brazil: ANATEL Restricted Radiation Equipment Transition Ends, 500 kHz Minimum Bandwidth Mandatory from October 6, 2026
Brazil's Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (ANATEL) has reached the final milestone of its 2025 update to the technical requirements for restricted radiation radiocommunication equipment. As of October 6, 2026, the last deferred provision of Ato nº 14.158 is mandatory: the exemption that allowed certain digitally modulated systems to be certified without meeting the 500 kHz minimum 6 dB bandwidth no longer applies to new conformity assessments.
For manufacturers of short-range and unlicensed wireless products, this closes a six-month transition window and changes the certification route for narrowband digital designs.
Regulatory background
Restricted radiation equipment in Brazil is governed by Resolution nº 680/2017 and certified against two technical instruments:
Ato nº 14.448 (December 4, 2017): Technical Requirements for the Conformity Assessment of Restricted Radiation Radiocommunication Equipment.
Ato nº 237 (January 7, 2022): the corresponding Test Procedures.
Ato nº 14.158, dated October 1, 2025 and published in ANATEL's Electronic Service Bulletin on October 8, 2025, amended both. Its main changes covered:
Systems operating in the 57 GHz to 71 GHz band, including field disturbance sensors.
New provisions for 116–123 GHz, 174.8–182 GHz, 185–190 GHz and 244–246 GHz.
Revised power and power spectral density limits for wireless access systems in the 5,150–5,350 MHz and 5,470–5,725 MHz bands, including transmit power control.
Vehicle radar definitions and radar use at airports and on aircraft during ground operations.
Multichannel digital wireless audio systems, referencing ETSI EN 300 422-1.
Updated test procedures for broadband wireless access systems.
Ato nº 14.158 became mandatory on April 6, 2026.
Four days before that date, ANATEL published Ato nº 4746 (April 2, 2026). It did two things: it added a sole paragraph to Article 20 of Ato nº 14.158 deferring one provision, Article 11, item III, to October 6, 2026, and it rewrote Article 19 to extend the grandfathering rule for products that are already homologated.
What changed for ANATEL restricted radiation equipment on October 6, 2026
Section 10 of Annex I to Ato nº 14.448 covers equipment using spread spectrum or other digital modulation technologies. Item 10.3.1 has long required that systems using direct sequence or other digital modulation techniques have a 6 dB bandwidth of at least 500 kHz.
The 500 kHz figure is therefore not new. What Ato nº 14.158 changed is the exception to it. Article 11, item III revokes item 10.3.4.4 of Annex I, the provision under which equipment evaluated using the alternative method in item 10.3.4 was exempt from the minimum bandwidth requirement. With that item revoked, the 500 kHz minimum applies to these systems without exception.
A related amendment is already in force. Since April 6, 2026, item 10.6 requires out-of-band RF power in any 100 kHz bandwidth to be at least 20 dB below the maximum in-band level, rising to 30 dB when the equipment is assessed under the alternative method in item 10.3.4.
What this means for manufacturers
New certifications lose the narrowband exemption. Any product entering ANATEL conformity assessment under item 10.3 from October 6, 2026 must demonstrate a 6 dB bandwidth of 500 kHz or more. Designs that depended on item 10.3.4.4 can no longer be certified on that basis.
Existing homologations are protected. Under the amended Article 19, a product homologated before the requirement became mandatory does not need to prove conformity with the change during certification maintenance. It can remain compliant against the requirements under which it was originally certified.
Narrowband digital products need a route decision. Devices with channel bandwidths below 500 kHz, common in low-power IoT, telemetry and sensor products, should be reviewed with the designated certification body (OCD). Depending on the design, options may include qualifying under the frequency hopping or hybrid system provisions of Section 10, applying another section of Ato nº 14.448, or modifying the radio configuration.
Foreign test reports need a gap check. Reports prepared for other markets may not include a 6 dB bandwidth measurement that satisfies ANATEL's procedure in Ato nº 237. Confirm coverage before submitting.
Certification impact summary
Area | Before October 6, 2026 | From October 6, 2026 |
Minimum 6 dB bandwidth (item 10.3.1) | 500 kHz, with an exemption for equipment assessed under item 10.3.4 | 500 kHz for all direct sequence and digital modulation systems |
Item 10.3.4.4 of Ato nº 14.448 | In force | Revoked |
New homologation applications | Could rely on the exemption | Must demonstrate 500 kHz or more |
Products already homologated | Compliant | Grandfathered during certification maintenance (Article 19) |
Out-of-band emissions (item 10.6) | 20 dB, or 30 dB under the alternative method (since April 6, 2026) | Unchanged |
Test procedures | Ato nº 237 as amended | Unchanged |
Timeline and required actions
Date | Milestone |
December 4, 2017 | Ato nº 14.448 establishes the technical requirements |
January 7, 2022 | Ato nº 237 establishes the test procedures |
October 1, 2025 | Ato nº 14.158 signed |
October 8, 2025 | Ato nº 14.158 published in the Electronic Service Bulletin and enters into force |
April 2, 2026 | Ato nº 4746 published, deferring Article 11, item III |
April 6, 2026 | Ato nº 14.158 becomes mandatory, except Article 11, item III |
October 6, 2026 | Article 11, item III becomes mandatory and the transition period ends |
Required actions
Audit the portfolio. Identify every product certified or planned under item 10.3 of Ato nº 14.448 and record its 6 dB bandwidth in each operating mode.
Flag narrowband modes. Any mode below 500 kHz needs an alternative certification route or a design change before a new application is filed.
Confirm the status of open projects. For applications in progress, ask the OCD in writing which version of the requirements applies.
Protect existing certificates. Keep maintenance cycles current so that homologated products retain their grandfathered status, and check with the OCD before making hardware or firmware changes that could trigger reassessment.
Update test plans. Add the 6 dB bandwidth measurement and the item 10.6 out-of-band limits to the test scope for Brazil.
Align documentation. Make sure technical specifications and manuals reflect the certified operating modes.
