The Brazilian National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) has published a new webpage dedicated to the development of small amateur radio satellites in Brazil, providing a manual with guidelines on regulatory requirements and forms necessary to submit information of the building satellite to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
According to Anatel, the reductions in the cost of manufacturing and launching small and non-geostationary satellites increased the national demand for this technology, requiring the creation of a guide to orient those interested in Brazil.
The Brazilian National Amateur Radio Association (LABRE) was consulted during the first phase of the guide development and received the support of its Space Communications (LABRE/AMSAT-BR) and Spectrum Defense and Management (LABRE/GDE) working groups.
LABRE stressed the need to respect the precepts and scopes of each telecommunication service as specified in ITU, reinforcing the principles of the Amateur Radio Service, as well as the need to observe regulations, practices and authorizations issued in Brazil, leveraging he educational satellite activities in a more integrated relationship with amateur radio.
According to Anatel: “The exploration of satellites should be carried only infrequencies assigned to satellite services, as well as to services compatible to the applications which the builder wants to develop. In the case of small satellites (for example, cubesats), if placed in the amateur radio service bands, they must be used for own training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by amateur radio operators, not seeing any monetary or commercial objective. To meet this demand, Anatel created a manual that contains information and instructions to comply with regulatory procedures”.
LABRE/AMSAT-BR has already collaborated with several Brazilian educational satellite projects like NanosatC-BR1 (INPE), AESP-14 (ITA), SERPENS‑1 (UnB), Tancredo‑1 (Tancredo Neves Municipal School, Ubatuba/SP), ITASAT- 1 (ITA), Floripasat‑1 (UFSC) and NanosatC-BR2 (INPE). LABRE is also active in the working group of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) focused on the Coordination of Satellite Frequencies.
Anatel’s new website with forms and manuals is available at:
https://www.anatel.gov.br/setorregulado/pequenos-satelites
Also available in Español (Spanish).