Brazil’s Anatel Seeks Public Input on First ICT Regulatory Sandbox

Brazil’s announces regulatory sandbox consultation

On November 3, 2025, Anatel’s Superintendence of Planning and Regulation published the Call for Input (Tomada de Subsídio) No. 10/2025, inviting stakeholders to submit information and proposals for the first edition of the agency’s Regulatory Sandbox program.

With this, Brazil’s telecommunications regulatory agency, Anatel (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações), has taken a significant step toward fostering innovation in the country’s telecom sector by publishing a public call for input for its inaugural Regulatory Sandbox initiative. The consultation aims to gather input on themes, projects, and other aspects that could be included in the first edition of the Experimental Regulatory Environment.

Anatel’s Regulatory Sandbox explained

The Regulatory Sandbox, formally known as the Experimental Regulatory Environment (Ambiente Regulatório Experimental), was established under Resolution No. 776 from April 28, 2025. This framework allows companies and organizations to test innovative business models and new regulatory approaches in a controlled environment while gathering valuable data on their performance and results.

Key objectives

This initiative mainly seeks to help Anatel update its regulations faster and better handle changes in the telecommunications industry. By encouraging experimentation, the agency wants to both support innovation and ensure proper oversight.

How will it work?

According to Article 4 of the regulation, the Sandbox will operate through periodic editions approved by the Board of Directors. Each edition must specify:

1. The edition period: the timeframe during which the sandbox will operate
2. Project submission deadline: when interested parties must submit their proposals
3. Participation requirements: criteria that projects must meet to be eligible
4. Priority themes: focus areas for innovative business models
5. Evaluation criteria: standards by which projects will be assessed
6. Maximum experiment duration: how long approved projects can run

Projects that meet the evaluation criteria will receive authorization through a specific act from the Board of Directors, with priority given to initiatives aligned with the agency’s Regulatory Agenda or Strategic Planning.

Supervision and outcomes

Once approved, the relevant superintendence, supported by other participating departments, will monitor each project to ensure compliance and track progress throughout the experimental period.

Where a project proves successful, satisfies the conditions of its authorization, and demonstrates significant benefits to society, Anatel may issue an authorization allowing other interested companies to implement the tested business model while the agency works on updating its permanent regulations.

How to participate

The public consultation will remain open for contributions from November 3 to December 5, 2025. While the Consultation has a list of guiding questions to structure contributions, stakeholders are encouraged to submit any relevant information to enhance the program. All submissions must be made through the Participa Anatel system, the agency’s official platform for public participation.

Our view: why this matters

This Regulatory Sandbox represents a modern approach to telecommunications regulation in Brazil. Rather than applying rigid rules to rapidly evolving technologies and business models, Anatel is creating a flexible framework that allows innovation to flourish while maintaining consumer protection and market stability.

By embracing this adaptive regulatory environment, Anatel is opening the door for creative solutions and dynamic business models to be trialled in a controlled, supportive setting. This not only encourages collaboration between regulators and industry players but also helps foster a culture of responsible experimentation where risks can be managed and lessons shared.

Ultimately, such initiatives underline Brazil’s commitment to cultivating a forward-thinking telecommunications sector that can respond to technological advancements and shifting market needs. For telecom companies, start-ups, and technology innovators, this presents an unprecedented opportunity to test new ideas with regulatory support rather than facing immediate compliance obstacles. It signals Brazil’s commitment to maintaining a competitive and innovative telecommunications sector that can adapt to emerging technologies and changing market demands.