Paraguay CONATEL Telecommunications Plan 2026-2030: IoT
Paraguay CONATEL Telecommunications Plan 2026-2030: Draft Opens Consultation on IoT Homologation
The Paraguay CONATEL telecommunications plan 2026-2030 has reached the public consultation stage. Paraguay's Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CONATEL) has published the draft Plan Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (PNT) 2026–2030 and has since extended the consultation period. For equipment manufacturers, the most relevant part is section 3.8, which commits CONATEL to define registration and homologation requirements for IoT devices.
Background: CONATEL's national telecommunications planning
CONATEL sets its regulatory priorities through multi-year national telecommunications plans; the previous plan covered 2021–2025. The new draft reviews the state of the market, including limited commercial 5G deployment, and sets objectives for the next five years. It sits alongside other CONATEL work affecting equipment, including the review of homologation rules that GMA Labs reported in August 2026.
Key Changes in the Paraguay CONATEL Telecommunications Plan 2026-2030
The draft is a policy plan, so it does not change requirements immediately. It does set out what CONATEL intends to regulate.
IoT connectivity and homologation (section 3.8)
CONATEL identifies low-power wide-area (LPWA) technologies as key for sensors, smart meters and industrial devices, with NB-IoT and LTE-M in licensed bands and LoRaWAN in the ISM band.
It plans to update the spectrum framework to support these technologies.
It states that registration and homologation requirements for IoT devices need to be defined.
It calls for conditions on the interoperability and security of sensor networks.
Spectrum management
The draft proposes to assess and progressively adopt dynamic spectrum allocation, interference databases and shared spectrum use (section 3.8).
Strengthening spectrum management is a strategic objective (OE1.2).
The 700 MHz band is being freed for 4G (IMT) as analogue TV switches off, with shutdowns scheduled for 31 December 2026 and 30 September 2027 for different groups (section 2.2.6).
5G and private networks
The plan sets a 2030 market outcome of at least 30% of the population covered by 5G (section 1.1).
It notes the need for updated quality-of-service rules for 5G and easier small-cell deployment, and flags possible authorisation mechanisms for private 5G networks in agriculture, mining and logistics (section 3.8).
Digital TV receivers
CONATEL's Digital TV Laboratory tests receivers for compatibility with the national standard (section 2.2.6).
What This Means for Manufacturers
IoT device makers using NB-IoT, LTE-M or LoRaWAN should expect new registration and homologation requirements for Paraguay during the plan period.
Security conditions for sensor networks may become part of the approval criteria, so security documentation is worth preparing early.
Spectrum framework updates could change the conditions for LPWA and ISM-band devices; current certificates are not affected by the draft itself.
Makers of 4G equipment should follow the 700 MHz refarming linked to the analogue TV switch-off.
Private 5G equipment suppliers should watch for new authorisation mechanisms.
The consultation is the chance to influence these rules before they are written.
Certification Impact Summary
Area | Before | After / New requirement | Impact level |
Products in scope | Current CONATEL homologation scope | IoT devices flagged for defined registration and homologation requirements (planned) | Medium |
Technical requirements | Current spectrum framework | Updated framework for NB-IoT, LTE-M and LoRaWAN (planned) | Medium |
Security | No sensor-network security conditions in the plan | Interoperability and security conditions for sensor networks (planned) | Medium |
Existing certificates | Valid | Unchanged by the draft plan | Low |
New applications | Current procedure | Unchanged until implementing rules are adopted | Low |
Spectrum | Static allocation | Dynamic and shared spectrum to be assessed progressively | Low |
Timeline and Required Actions
Key Dates
Date | Milestone |
October 2026 | Draft PNT 2026–2030 published for public consultation |
To be confirmed | Extended consultation deadline |
31 December 2026 | Analogue TV shutdown for Group 5 (700 MHz refarming) |
30 September 2027 | Analogue TV shutdown for Groups 7 and 9 |
2026–2030 | Plan period; implementing rules for IoT homologation to be developed |
Required Actions for Manufacturers
Read section 3.8 of the draft and identify which of your IoT products fall under LPWA technologies.
Check with CONATEL whether the consultation is still open and how to submit comments.
Prepare comments on IoT registration, homologation and security conditions if your products are affected.
Review your current Paraguay certificates and product roadmap against the planned changes.
Document the security features of sensor and gateway products.
Monitor CONATEL for the final plan and the implementing homologation rules.
Conclusion
The draft Paraguay CONATEL telecommunications plan 2026-2030 signals that IoT devices will get their own registration and homologation requirements. The rules aren't written yet, so this is the moment for manufacturers to engage. Contact our team for support with Paraguay homologation and market access planning.
