Regulatory Compliance News

Thailand’s NBTC Establishes Technical Standards for 6 GHz Wi-Fi and Expands Short-Range Radio Rules

Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) published a public consultation initiating formal regulatory amendments to its technical standards for telecommunications and radiocommunications equipment operating in the 5.925–6.425 GHz frequency band. The initiative established the technical baseline for opening the lower 6 GHz spectrum in Thailand, laying the regulatory groundwork to permit Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 device deployments under defined low-power indoor (LPI) and very low-power (VLP) operational constraints. By aligning national spectrum parameters with international frameworks, the NBTC sought to address expanding broadband data demands while ensuring co-existence with primary incumbent fixed services.

Following the initial 6 GHz public consultation phase, the NBTC continued to update technical standards for adjacent short-range device (SRD) and radar spectrums to maintain harmony with global regulatory trends. Subsequent rulemaking efforts introduced standalone technical specifications—such as draft standard NBTC TS 10XX-256X—governing non-specific short-range devices and high-resolution gesture-sensing radar equipment operating across the 57–64 GHz band with maximum output limits capped at 100 mW (20 dBm) E.I.R.P. In parallel, the regulator advanced dedicated technical frameworks (including NBTC TS 1011-256X) to standardize automotive and land transportation radar applications across the 24 GHz and 77–81 GHz bands, establishing clearer Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) pathways and license-exempt power thresholds for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and industrial motion sensors.

These structural spectrum updates directly impact equipment homologation workflows managed by the NBTC's telecommunication technical standards divisions. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), testing laboratories, and importers supplying wireless devices to the Thai market must ensure technical construction files and accredited laboratory test reports demonstrate strict compliance with the updated power spectral density caps and operating frequency boundaries. Obtaining valid NBTC Class A, Class B, or SDoC type approvals remains mandatory prior to importing, distributing, or commercially deploying 6 GHz Wi-Fi equipment and modern millimeter-wave short-range radio hardware across Thailand.