Portugal is a good country when it comes to telecommunications. However, the service does not reach all Portuguese and others does not arrive in the best way. It is enough, for example, to travel to the interior to check that there are many areas that do not have Internet coverage, which is almost unacceptable today.
However, the new communications law provides for more Internet coverage and cheaper tariffs.
Internet accessible to any consumer or small business, anywhere in the country, with minimum quality requirements and an “affordable price”, even for those with low incomes, reveals Público. According to what is revealed, this new communications law that will transpose the new European Electronic Communications Code (CECE), will include broadband Internet in Portugal.
Such a service will make it possible to use e-mail, consult information or job search sites, access online banking services or public administration services, use electronic commerce, or basic educational and training tools online.
ANACOM has already delivered the proposal to Parliament and foresees that the Government may designate companies to ensure “the satisfaction of all reasonable requests for access” to these services (through wired and wireless technologies). Anacom may also propose to the Government "the allocation of support for the acquisition of the service, namely through discount vouchers".
The Internet social tariff ...
The Social Tariff is an additional discount on Internet services that is aimed at economically vulnerable consumers. This type of tariff already exists in the energy market and may soon reach the communications market.
There are two regulators to investigate this situation - the Autoridade Nacional das Comunicações (Anacom) and the Autoridade da Concorrência (AdC). The Internet social tariff will be applied to the beneficiaries of the social electricity tariff.
According to data from European Commission, Portugal ranks 19th out of the 28 EU member states in the Digital Economy and Society Index (IDES) 2020 ”.
One of the problems identified in the report is the excessive price of broadband in the country. The report also points out that an “extra effort” is needed for the fast Internet to reach all households. Evidently, even in rural areas, says the Express.
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