Costa Rica SUTEL 6 GHz Standard Power Homologation Rules

Costa Rica: SUTEL Finalizes 6 GHz Standard Power (AFC) Homologation Rules

Costa Rica has moved from proposal to binding rule. In June 2026, the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (SUTEL) published two resolutions that together establish how Standard Power (SP) devices controlled by Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) systems will be authorized to operate in the 5925–7125 MHz range (the 6 GHz band). This closes out the two public consultations SUTEL opened earlier in 2026 and gives manufacturers, importers, test labs, certification bodies, and prospective AFC operators a defined compliance path for outdoor and higher power Wi-Fi 6E / Wi-Fi 7000000 deployments that were not viable under Costa Rica's earlier Low Power Indoor (LPI) rules.

Both resolutions were issued by the SUTEL Council and published through La Gaceta, Costa Rica's official gazette:

• RCS-137-2026: Procedure for the Accreditation of Expert Administrators of AFC Databases (Peritos Administradores de Base de Datos de Control Automático de Frecuencias, or PAAFCs). Published in La Gaceta No. 115, Alcance No. 79, dated 23 June 2026.

• RCS-138-2026: Application Procedure for the Approval (homologation) of Standard Power Devices Controlled by AFC Systems Operating in the 5925–7125 MHz range. Published in La Gaceta No. 118, Alcance No. 82, dated 26 June 2026.

Official texts are hosted on the SUTEL website: RCS-137-2026 and RCS-138-2026.

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From consultation to final rule

These resolutions finalize the two parallel consultations SUTEL ran earlier in 2026, corresponding to case files GCO-DGC-APA-00832-2026 (AFC database administrator accreditation) and GCO-DGC-HPE-00833-2026 (Standard Power device homologation). The comment window closed on or about 1 June 2026. For readers who tracked the draft stage, the published resolutions are the operative instruments now the framework has legal effect rather than consultative status.

The commercial significance is straightforward. Standard Power mode is what unlocks outdoor 6 GHz Wi-Fi, higher transmit power, and long-range Wi-Fi 7 use cases stadium and venue coverage, ISP fixed wireless access, enterprise campus and industrial deployments. None of that is possible under an LPI only regime. But SP power levels are only permitted under the control of an AFC system, which coordinates channel and power availability against incumbent services on a per-location basis. Costa Rica's two resolutions build the two halves of that system: the devices, and the databases that authorize them.

Two instruments, two regulated populations

A point that the single headline framing of "resolutions on SP devices" tends to blur: these are two distinct instruments regulating two different populations, and conflating them creates a real compliance gap. Only RCS-138-2026 governs device homologation. RCS-137-2026 governs the accreditation of the AFC database operators not the equipment. A manufacturer completing device homologation is not thereby an accredited AFC administrator, and an AFC operator's accreditation does not homologate anyone's hardware. Both must exist for a legal Standard Power deployment.

RCS-137-2026: accreditation of AFC database administrators (PAAFCs)

RCS-137-2026 creates the procedure for accrediting the Peritos Administradores de Base de Datos de Control Automático de Frecuencias (PAAFCs) the entities that operate the AFC databases determining whether a given SP device may use a particular channel and power level at a specific geographic location. Applicants are required to submit information covering their organizational structure, relevant experience, technical architecture, monitoring systems, communication protocols, contingency plans, and operational capabilities. Applicants must generally demonstrate at least one year of national or international experience in database administration, subject to a partial exception for administrators already accredited internationally as AFC operators. The associated AFC test plan and results are subject to SUTEL review and approval.

Operationally, an accredited AFC administrator is expected to verify that a device model is homologated, confirm the individual device identifier against SUTEL's records, apply the required propagation and attenuation models, and identify the channels available in each geographic area. Where the AFC determines that no Standard Power channels are available at a device's location, the resolution establishes a controlled fallback rather than a full shutdown: the administrator must ensure the device does not continue operating under AFC controlled Standard Power conditions, disabling SP functionality when it does not receive positive confirmation of permitted channels. The device may then continue only under the technical conditions applicable to free use (exempt) operation.

RCS-138-2026: 6 GHz Standard Power homologation of devices

RCS-138-2026 is the resolution manufacturers and importers must build their filings around. It sets the type approval (homologation) procedure applicable exclusively to devices operating in the 6 GHz unlicensed band (5925–7125 MHz) under Standard Power mode, controlled by an AFC system. Two device categories are central to the scheme:

• APSP: Standard Power Access Point (Punto de Acceso con Potencia Estándar): the AFC-controlled access point operating at Standard Power.

• DFC: Fixed Client Device (Dispositivo Fijo del Cliente): a permanently installed, geolocation-capable client device with specific antenna-orientation requirements.

  
  

Devices marketed as Standard Power will need validated AFC client functionality: accurate geolocation reporting, secure communication with the AFC system, enforcement of the channels and power levels the AFC authorizes, and the controlled fallback behavior described above when authorization is unavailable. Documentation submitted to SUTEL must be provided in Spanish and is expected to include corporate registration details, identity documents, contact information, and sworn declarations confirming that AFC controlled devices will operate under the technical conditions established by SUTEL.

The homologation pathway under RCS-138-2026

The type-approval process is administered by SUTEL's Dirección General de Calidad (DGC General Directorate of Quality) and follows a registration then application structure:

1. Entity registration with SUTEL (DGC) as the applicant of record.

2. Submission of the homologation application through SUTEL's web platform, with the Spanish language documentation set and sworn declarations.

3. DGC review for compliance against the SP/AFC technical and administrative requirements.

4. Issuance of the homologation certificate upon successful verification.

   
   

This sits alongside and is distinct from Costa Rica's long standing free band type approval route under RCS-154-2018, which continues to apply to conventional unlicensed RF products. Standard Power 6 GHz equipment now has its own dedicated AFC conditioned pathway.

What this means for manufacturers

1. Treat Costa Rica SP as a separate homologation track. Wi-Fi 6E / Wi-Fi 7 access points, outdoor APs, and fixed client devices intended for 5925–7125 MHz Standard Power operation cannot ride on an existing LPI or free-band approval. Plan a dedicated RCS-138-2026 filing.

2. Confirm AFC client functionality before you file. Geolocation accuracy, secure AFC communication, channel/power enforcement, and the controlled fallback to free-use conditions when SP channels are unavailable are the functional core of the approval. Devices without validated AFC client behavior are not homologable as SP.

3. Map your product lineup to the APSP / DFC categories. Access points file as APSP; permanently installed, geolocation capable client devices file as DFC and must meet the fixed installation and antenna orientation expectations. Portable or non geolocating clients do not fit the SP model and remain governed by other rules.

4. Prepare a Spanish language documentation set. Corporate registration, identity documents, contact information, and sworn declarations that devices will operate under SUTEL's technical conditions are expected as part of the filing. Build translation and notarization lead time into your schedule.

5. Coordinate with prospective AFC administrators early. A homologated device still needs an accredited PAAFC to authorize it in the field. Confirm which AFC operators intend to serve Costa Rica and validate interoperability with their systems, since the AFC verifies model homologation and device identity before granting SP access.

6. Verify transition treatment for existing 6 GHz devices. Whether previously homologated 6 GHz LPI devices need any action, and whether any grace period applies to SP filings, should be confirmed against the resolution text before committing timelines.

   
   

Certification impact summary

Dimension	Position under the new resolutions
Instrument for devices	RCS-138-2026 (Standard Power homologation)
Instrument for AFC operators	RCS-137-2026 (PAAFC accreditation)
Band / mode in scope	5925–7125 MHz (6 GHz), Standard Power under AFC control
Device categories	APSP (SP access point); DFC (fixed client device)
Administering body	SUTEL Dirección General de Calidad (DGC)
Filing channel	SUTEL web platform; documentation in Spanish
Mandatory device functions	Geolocation, secure AFC communication, channel/power enforcement, controlled fallback to free-use when SP unavailable
AFC operator prerequisite	Accreditation as PAAFC; ≥1 yr DB-admin experience (exception for internationally accredited AFC operators); SUTEL-approved test plan
Relationship to LPI / free-band	Separate, additional pathway; RCS-154-2018 free-band route unaffected
Technical parameters (EIRP, emissions)	Per RCS-138-2026 confirm against official text

Timeline and required actions

Date	Event	Status	Action for manufacturers / operators
May 2026	SUTEL opens consultations (case files GCO-DGC-APA-00832-2026 and GCO-DGC-HPE-00833-2026)	Completed	(proposal stage)
~1 June 2026	Consultation comment window closes	Completed	—
23 June 2026	RCS-137-2026 published La Gaceta 115, Alcance 79 (AFC administrator accreditation)	In force	AFC operators: prepare PAAFC accreditation application
26 June 2026	RCS-138-2026 published — La Gaceta 118, Alcance 82 (SP device homologation)	In force	Manufacturers: scope products to APSP/DFC; prepare RCS-138-2026 filing
Effective date / transition	Applicability and any grace or grandfathering provisions	To be verified	Confirm against resolution text before committing launch dates
Ongoing	AFC operators seek PAAFC accreditation; manufacturers homologate SP devices	Open	Coordinate device homologation with accredited AFC coverage