The Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (ANATEL) in Brazil is proposing an important update to the technical requirements for conformity assessment of restricted radiation radiocommunication equipment. This proposal, approved by Act No. 14448 on December 4, 2017, aims to address the evolving landscape of radiocommunication technology and ensure optimal utilization of frequency bands.
Public Consultation
This proposal is currently open for public consultation. Stakeholders are invited to submit their contributions until August 6th, 2024. Following the consultation period, ANATEL will review the contributions, update the relevant items, and publish the Final Act. The exact release date of the Final Act is currently unknown and will depend on the volume of contributions received.
Key Changes in the Proposal
The primary changes in this proposal are focused on Access Points that operate in the frequency range between 5.925 MHz and 7.125 MHz. Under the new guidelines, these devices will be restricted to operating in the 5.925 to 6.425 MHz band. Additionally, the proposal mandates that these Access Points must have automatic and remote firmware update capabilities to adapt their operating channels to the frequency bands permitted for use by ANATEL in Brazil.
Detailed Changes:
- Item 11.7.1.4: The initial factory settings of the Access Point must limit equipment operation to the 5.925-6.425 MHz band.
- Item 11.7.1.5: The remote firmware update aimed at enabling the use of the 5.925-7.125 MHz band by the equipment can only be made available to the market if ANATEL changes these technical requirements.
- Item 11.7.4.1: The limits of spurious and out-of-band emissions must also be evaluated with the operating band limited to 5.925-6.425 MHz. The RMS value of spurious emissions and any emission outside of said band must be limited at the maximum EIRP power spectral density of -27 dBm/MHz.
- Item 11.7.13: Access Points must have the ability to adjust the limits of their operating range defined in the usage profiles, through remote and automatic firmware updates.
- Item 11.7.13.1: The remote and automatic firmware update functionality, which makes it possible to limit the operating range, must be enabled by default in the equipment’s initial factory settings.
- Item 11.7.13.2: The applicant for approval must submit a declaration stating that the Access Point is capable of adjusting the limits of its operating range through a remote and automatic firmware update.
Impact on Manufacturers
The proposed changes will have a considerable impact on manufacturers of Access Points and users in Brazil. Manufacturers will need to ensure that their devices are compliant with the new operating frequency restrictions and incorporate the required firmware update functionality.
The official document can be accessed here.
For more information on Brazil ANATEL approval requirements, please contact iCertifi.