Before a telecommunications product can be marketed and used in a country, it requires type approval. This is something that manufacturers, importers, and distributors need to understand. Therefore, having a complete guide to Brazil type approval process will be very helpful.
Brazil is one of the world’s leading digital powers, with widespread 5G adoption and aggressive digital transformation. The country has over 117 million internet users and is experiencing rapid growth, projected to reach US$43.3 billion by 2029. You need a guide on Brazil type approval to enter its market.
Brazil type approval is known as ANATEL certification. Understanding the entire certification process is crucial for all manufacturers, importers, and distributors before marketing and using their products in this country.
Also Read
What is Brazil Type Approval
Brazil type approval is also known as ANATEL certification. ANATEL stands for “Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações” in Portuguese. It is Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency.
It is an independent agency that does not fall under any government ministry. However, it has the authority to grant licenses, regulate, and oversee the telecommunications sector in Brazil.
ANATEL certification serves as proof that telecommunications devices are safe to use. “Safe” in this context means that they do not pose significant risks when used and do not interfere with the operation of other devices when used simultaneously. Thus, their safe use is guaranteed.
Products Requiring Certification
The scope of products requiring ANATEL certification is not limited to telecommunications products. However, all products with telecommunications features or radio frequencies must also be certified.
The following are some examples of products requiring Brazilian type approval:
| Product | Detail Product |
| Antenna | Point-to-point Antenna |
| ENERGY STORAGE (BATTERIES) | Stationary Nickel-Cadmium Alkaline Energy Storage Device |
| Stationary Vented Lead-Acid Energy Storage Tank | |
| Valve-Regulated Stationary Lead- Acid Energy Storage Tank | |
| Vented Stationary Lead-Acid Battery Tanks for Specific Applications | |
| Valve-Regulated Stationary Lead- Acid Batteries for Specific Applications | |
| Vented Stationary Lead-Acid Battery for Low-Power Photovoltaic Systems | |
| COAXIAL CABLES | Coaxial Cable |
| 75 Ohm Rigid Coaxial Cable | |
| 50 Ohm Semi-Rigid Coaxial Cable | |
| Hybrid Coaxial Cable | |
| Flexible coaxial cable, 50 ohms or 75 ohms | |
| Optical cables and optical fibers | Fiber Optic Cable |
| Self-Supporting Aerial Dielectric Core Fiber Optic Cable | |
| Marinized Terrestrial Optical Cable | |
| OPGW cable | |
| Hybrid Optical Cable | |
| Optical Fibers | |
| Compact Fiber Optic Cable for Indoor Installation | |
| Self-supporting Fiber Optic Cable – Compact Optical Drop | |
| Self-supporting Fiber Optic Cable – Optical Drop | |
| Fiber Optic Microcable Installed in Microducts by Blowing | |
| CABLES FOR DATA TRANSMISSION | Unshielded Data Transmission Cable |
| Shielded Data Transmission Cable | |
| Cables for Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) | |
| Control Cable | |
| TELEPHONE CABLES | Metallic Pair Telephone Cable (except CI and CCI) |
| Metallic Pair Telephone Cable (APL) | |
| Metallic Pair Telephone Cable (CI and CCI) | |
| Chargers for mobile phones and lithium batteries. | Accessory for mobile phones, auxiliary battery type. |
| Lithium battery used in cell phones | |
| Inductive Charger for Cell Phones | |
| Cell Phone Charger | |
| SWITCHING CENTERS | Digital Switching Center |
| Switching and Control Center – CCC | |
| Private Telephone Switching Center – CPCT | |
| CONNECTORS | General Distributor Terminal Block – (BT-DG) |
| External Network Terminal Block – (BT-RE) | |
| Internal Network Terminal Block – (BT-RI) | |
| Aerial Optical Terminal Box | |
| Underground Optical Terminal Box | |
| Underground Optical Terminal Box for Residential Areas and Small Commercial Buildings | |
| Shielding Connector (CBCT/CBVT) | |
| Reinforced Fiber Optic Connector | |
| Coaxial Cable Connector | |
| Connector for Telephone Cable (dry, impregnated and sealed) | |
| Fiber Optic Connector | |
| Field-mounted fiber optic connector for compact cables. | |
| Aerial Splice Kit for Fiber Optic Cables | |
| Underground Non-Pressurized Splice Kit for Optical Cables | |
| BROADCASTING EQUIPMENT | TV Channel Converter (repeat/retransmission) |
| RF exciter | |
| Secondary Channel Generator (FM station) | |
| Stereo generator (FM radio station) | |
| Audio Processor (FM radio station) | |
| Audio Limiter/Processor (FM radio station) | |
| Audio and video modulator | |
| TV Repeater | |
| TV repeater | |
| Drive-in Cinema Transmitter | |
| Community Broadcasting Transmitter | |
| AM Radio Broadcasting Transmitter | |
| FM Radio Broadcasting Transmitter | |
| Analog Television Transmitter | |
| Terrestrial Digital Television Transmitter | |
| RF EQUIPMENT (EXCEPT BROADCASTING) | RF Power Amplifier |
| RF Power Amplifier for Ground Station | |
| Radio Communication Signal Blocking Equipment (BSR) | |
| Converter from Ascending to Ground Station | |
| BPL equipment | |
| Carrier Wave Equipment (OPLAT) | |
| Access Terminal Station – ETA | |
| Femtocell | |
| Residential Femtocell | |
| Modem for Earth Station | |
| Digital Modulator (for Earth Station) | |
| Modem for Digital Transceiver | |
| Radar | |
| Internal Signal Booster | |
| Radio Frequency Repeater | |
| Mobile phone | |
| Satellite Mobile Phone | |
| Shared Use Terminal for SMP | |
| All equipment covered by the Restricted Radiation Radiocommunication Equipment Regulation (except restricted radiation transceivers). | |
| Restricted Radiation Transceiver | |
| Trunked Analog Transceiver – Base | |
| Analog Trunked Transceiver (mobile and portable) | |
| Digital Transmitter and Transceiver | |
| Trunked Digital Transceiver – Base | |
| Satellite SMM Transceiver | |
| Trunked Digital Transceiver (mobile and portable) | |
| Fixed Transceiver for Rural Subscribers | |
| Fixed Transceiver for Rural Base Stations | |
| Transmitter and Transceiver (fixed, mobile, and portable) | |
| Transceiver for Radio Base Station | |
| Transmitter and Transceiver for Earth Station (except SMM) | |
| Mobile Satellite Transceiver | |
| Transceiver for the Auxiliary Sound Broadcasting Service | |
| Transceiver for Automatic Ship Identification System | |
| PLC Transceiver – Narrowband | |
| Radio Beacon Transmitter | |
| Radio Call Transmitter | |
| Radio Beacon Transmitter | |
| Supervisory and Control Transmitter | |
| Transmitter for the Auxiliary Sound Broadcasting Service | |
| Transmitter for the Auxiliary TV Broadcasting Service | |
| Transmitter for Advanced Messaging Service | |
| Radar Transponder (SART) | |
| Interactive screen for educational use | |
| OPTICAL EQUIPMENT | Passive Optical Couplers |
| Passive Optical Splitters | |
| OLT – Optical Line Termination | |
| ONU – Optical Network Unit | |
| ONT – Optical Network Termination | |
| Optical Line Terminal | |
| Optical Line Terminal with Integrated Multiplexer | |
| EQUIPMENT FOR DATA COMMUNICATION | Data Network Equipment – User Environment |
| Equipment for Network Interconnection | |
| Data Network Equipment (except for the user environment) | |
| Multi-service platform | |
| Data Multiplexer | |
| SHDSL Signal Regenerator | |
| HPNA Coaxial for IPTV – Distributor | |
| TERMINAL EQUIPMENT | Telephone Line Alarm |
| Telephone Operator Equipment | |
| Phone Call Blocker | |
| Subscription TV User Terminal Equipment (SeAC) | |
| Telephone Caller ID | |
| Automatic Telephone Call Dialing | |
| Answering Machine | |
| STFC Terminal | |
| Facsimile Equipment | |
| Analog Modem | |
| ADSL Digital Modem | |
| HDSL or MSDSL Digital Modem | |
| SHDSL Digital Modem | |
| VDSL Digital Modem | |
| VDSL2 Digital Modem | |
| HPNA Coaxial for IPTV | |
| MoCA Coaxial | |
| Cable TV Modem | |
| Dedicated Phone | |
| Subscriber Phone Number | |
| Public Use Telephone (TUP) | |
| Public Telephone Adapted for the Deaf (TPS) | |
| Public Access Terminal (TAP) | |
| Telecommunications Terminal for the Deaf (TTS) | |
| Telecommunications Terminal for the Deaf for Use in the Subscriber Environment (TTS-A) | |
| IP Terminal Equipment (Wired and Wireless) | ATA – Adapter for Analog Telephones (wired and wireless) |
| Telecommunications equipment with a USB interface | |
| IP Phone / Ethernet Phone | |
| TELEPHONE WIRES | Internal Telephone Wire (FI) |
| External Wired Telephone Cord (FEB) | |
| Outdoor Telephone Wire with Copper-Clad Steel Conductors | |
| External Telephone Wire (FE) | |
| DG Telephone Wire | |
| PROTECTIVE MODULES | Protective Module (for DG) |
| Protective Module for HDSL/SHDSL Systems | |
| Protective module (for external network) | |
| Protective module (for user environment) | |
| DIGITAL MULTIPLEX | DSL Access Multiplexer – DSLAM |
| Optical Multiplex (WDM/CWDM/DWDM) | |
| Multiplex SDH – SDXC Equipment | |
| Multiplex SDH – STM Equipment | |
| Multiplex PDH | |
| RECTIFIER SYSTEMS | Rectifier System (switched – forced and natural ventilation) |
| SPLITTER | xDSL Filter – Central Office Splitter |
| xDSL Filter – Residential Splitter | |
| xDSL Filter – Residential Microfilter | |
| xDSL Filter – Splitter for Public Telephony | |
| RECTIFICATION UNITS | Rectifier Unit (switched – forced and natural ventilation) |
Who Should Be an Applicant for Certification?
Applicants for Brazil type approval must be registered local companies. This may include local manufacturers, importers, or authorized local representatives.
Foreign companies cannot apply for certification directly. They must appoint a registered company to act as their partner.
This company will then act as the local representative. For those who do not yet have a local partner based in Brazil, foreign companies may appoint an importer or service provider to act as the certificate holder.
Certification Process
The Brazil type approval certification process is somewhat unique. The country combines local testing and paperwork. This process is arguably the most complex in the world.
The combination of these two processes means you need to conduct local testing for one of the required tests, and for the other, submit test results from an international lab.
1. Document requirements
Brazil does require some local testing, but the success of the approval process still depends on the completeness and compliance of the documentation. Therefore, you need to ensure that the documents are prepared from the outset.
That way, the rest of the process can proceed smoothly. Here is a list of the documents required for Brazil type approval that must be prepared:
- Product technical documentation,
- Test reports
- User manual in Portuguese,
- Labels,
- Declaration of conformity,
- Power supply information,
- Internal and external photos,
- Schematics/diagrams
- Valid ISO 9001 certificate of the manufacturing site, issued in Portuguese or accompanied by a sworn (certified) translation into Portuguese
2. Local testing
Local testing for Brazil type approval is conducted by ANATEL-accredited laboratories (OCD-accredited laboratories). Local testing requires samples to be tested.
The number and type of samples will depend on the RF features and testing methods. Sample requirements for Brazil type approval are highly dependent on the laboratory’s analysis of the submitted documentation.
Each laboratory in Brazil may also have different policies regarding sample requirements. Typically, we discuss these matters with the laboratory on a case-by-case basis for each product submitted.
3. Certificate issuance
The ANATEL certificate will be issued once the above process is complete. The lead time for Brazilian type approval using the combined method is approximately 8–12 weeks.
The validity period for Brazil type approval depends on the type of product. Products for general use have a validity period of two years. Meanwhile, products intended for infrastructure and professional use have a validity period of three years.
The following is an example of an ANATEL certificate:
4. Label requirements for Brazil type approval
All telecommunications and wireless devices requiring Brazil type approval certification must be labeled. This label consists of three components: the ANATEL logo, a barcode, and an Approval ID.
In addition, the label must also include important information about the product or its packaging. The information that must be included is the Approval Code or a unique 12-digit code, the Model Name, the Brand or manufacturer, and the Country of Origin.
The ANATEL logo used as a label has specific requirements. The logo may be in color or black and white. For the use of a black-and-white label, prior authorization from ANATEL is required.
Here is an example of the label:
ANATEL Certification Management Services
The Brazil type approval certification process, which involves a combination of local submissions and document evaluation, can be extremely time-consuming. This certification process is also quite complex.
Therefore, you may need assistance to complete the certification process in this country. Dimulti is the right place to address your concerns regarding RF type approval.
Armed with extensive experience, we have a deep understanding of the certification process, from pre-testing to certificate issuance. Our track record in this industry is well-established, evidenced by our extensive international network. We even provide services that allow you to monitor the certificate issuance process in real-time.
- Experienced since 2008: We have served hundreds of clients and managed thousands of RF type approval projects, ensuring that the certification process is completed efficiently.
- Pre-testing services: We were among the first to offer pre-testing services to help prevent failures during the actual certification process.
- International network: We currently cover more than a dozen countries and continue to expand our certification services worldwide.
- Certification process monitoring services: We have developed a Project Management System (PMS) to make it easy for you to monitor the certification process at every stage in real-time.
