Anatel Public Consultation No. 37 is open for contributions until October 23, 2026, at 23:59:59 on Participa Anatel. This process is not the auction itself. It is the stage in which the agency receives comments and suggestions on the draft notice for authorizing use of the upper portion of the 6 GHz band, from 6,425 MHz to 7,125 MHz. The proposal covers 700 MHz of spectrum, national and regional lots, 20-year authorizations, and infrastructure and coverage commitments.
It is also important to distinguish this consultation from Public Consultations No. 41 and No. 42, opened in September for outdoor Wi-Fi rules. Those two concern the 5,925 MHz to 6,425 MHz range and Standard Power Wi-Fi equipment and AFC systems. Consultation 37 concerns a different part of the spectrum, from 6,425 MHz to 7,125 MHz, and a future radiofrequency auction.
What Consultation 37 puts up for discussion
The proposal published on Participa Anatel is part of item 29 of the 2025-2026 Regulatory Agenda. Its purpose is to prepare an auction notice for the 6,425 MHz to 7,125 MHz sub-band, with the possibility of associating the authorizations with the Personal Mobile Service, known in Brazil as SMP. The draft also allows, at the winner's request and under the applicable regulatory conditions, an initial association with the Multimedia Communication Service, or SCM.
| Point | What appears in the proposal |
|---|---|
| Band | 6,425 MHz to 7,125 MHz, totaling 700 MHz. |
| Type of use | Primary-use radiofrequency authorizations. |
| Authorization term | 20 years, with the possibility of paid renewal under the rules in force at the time of expiration. |
| Associated service | SMP as the main reference; the draft provides for cases of association with SCM. |
| Lots | 14 Type A lots combining national and regional authorizations. |
| Commitments | Transport networks, coverage of localities, ESG actions, and regional digital infrastructure. |
| Status | Draft under public consultation. The final notice and auction date still depend on later steps. |
How the 700 MHz is organized in the draft
In frequency-block terms, the proposal divides the upper portion of 6 GHz into three 200 MHz segments and one 100 MHz segment. Geographic distribution turns those segments into 14 lots:
| Lots | Range | Area |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 6,425 MHz to 6,625 MHz | Nationwide |
| A2 | 6,625 MHz to 6,825 MHz | Nationwide |
| A3 to A8 | 6,825 MHz to 7,025 MHz | Regional lots distributed among the service areas in Annex I |
| A9 to A14 | 7,025 MHz to 7,125 MHz | Regional lots distributed among the service areas in Annex I |
The draft limits each bidder and its economic group to one Type A lot per geographic area. In the text currently displayed on Participa Anatel, the Annex II columns for minimum prices and guarantee amounts do not show numeric values. Therefore, the material consulted does not support publishing a minimum bid amount for the future auction.
Which commitments are associated with the lots
The proposal is not limited to spectrum-use rights. For lots A1 through A14, the draft provides for commitments to build transmission networks, such as backbone or backhaul, and coverage commitments with voice and data connections. The proposed schedule starts with 20% targets in 2029 and progresses to 100% of assigned municipalities and localities by 2033, subject to the lists and mechanisms established in the annexes.
There is also a Regional Digital Infrastructure Commitment for service areas I, II, and III. The text provides for funding to deploy and operate Neutral Regional Hubs and Edge Nodes under open-access rules, additionality criteria, and Anatel supervision. The proposal also includes environmental, social, and governance commitments with annual reporting.
These points are still part of a proposal. Contributions received may lead to changes before the final auction notice is approved.
Consultation 37 is not the same as Consultations 41 and 42
| Consultation | Band | Main subject | Deadline shown on Participa Anatel |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC 37/2026 | 6,425 MHz to 7,125 MHz | Draft auction notice for radiofrequency-use authorizations. | 10/23/2026 at 23:59:59 |
| PC 41/2026 | 5,925 MHz to 6,425 MHz | Technical and certification requirements for Standard Power Wi-Fi equipment with AFC. | 12/03/2026 at 23:59:59 |
| PC 42/2026 | 5,925 MHz to 6,425 MHz | Technical, operational, and registration requirements for AFC systems. | 12/03/2026 at 23:59:59 |
In practical terms, the 6,425 MHz boundary helps avoid confusion. Consultations 41 and 42 discuss outdoor Wi-Fi with automated coordination in the lower range identified by Anatel, while Consultation 37 discusses an auction for the immediately higher range.
How to participate in Public Consultation 37
Anatel states that contributions must be submitted through Participa Anatel. In the list of ongoing consultations, find Public Consultation No. 37, open the text and related documents, and use the contribution option associated with the consultation. The deadline shown by the platform is October 23, 2026, at 23:59:59.
To prepare a more objective submission, it is useful to identify the specific item, annex, band, lot, or commitment being discussed, state the proposed change or observation, and provide the corresponding technical, economic, or regulatory rationale. This does not replace the official form instructions, which must be followed when submitting the contribution.
Participating in the consultation is also not the same as registering for the future auction. The consultation is a public-participation stage concerning the draft. Qualification conditions and procedures for bidders will be defined in the final notice.
What happens after the deadline
After the consultation closes, Anatel analyzes the contributions and may revise the proposal before final approval of the auction notice. In an official September communication, the agency said the planning presented calls for the auction to be held by 2028, without giving an exact auction date. The same communication mentions plans for two public hearings, in São Paulo and Brasília, to discuss the auction design, commitments, and technical conditions.
Therefore, the concrete date for interested participants today is the Consultation 37 contribution deadline: October 23, 2026. Dates for bid submission, the auction session, and other auction milestones still depend on the final version of the notice.
