Public tenders for the installation, management, operation and maintenance of high-speed electronic communications networks in rural areas
To ensure territorial cohesion and equal opportunity of access to high-quality advanced services by companies or citizens, regardless of the area of the country where they are located, on 5 February 2010, the Government awarded NGA contracts in the North, Centre and in the Alentejo and Algarve.
The project comprises an investment of 156.5 million euros and will provide these regions with high-speed electronic communications networks covering more than one million people.
In the North, the NGA contract, for which a tender was launched on 10 July 2009, was awarded to DSTelecom (DST) for a period of 20 years, entailing an investment of 68.7 million euros and covering eight districts (Aveiro, Braga, Bragança, Guarda, Porto, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real and Viseu) and 44 municipalities 1, corresponding to a population of about 490,000 people.
In the Alentejo and Algarve area, the contract was awarded to DST for a period of 20 years, amounting to 40 million euros and covering about 263,370 people with NGA in 33 municipalities 2, belonging to the districts of Beja, Évora, Portalegre, Santarém and Faro.
In the Centre zone, about 371,000 people are covered, spread over seven districts (Aveiro, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Guarda, Leiria, Santarém and Viseu) and 42 municipalities 3. With investment totalling 47.8 million euros, the contract was awarded to Viatel, also for a period of 20 years.
Contracts for the Autonomous Region of Madeira and the Autonomous Region of the Azores were awarded to Viatel on 7 June 2010, also for a period of 20 years. In the case of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, the investment of 5.8 million covers a population of about 33,000 people living in five municipalities 4. In the Autonomous Region of the Azores the investment is worth 20.8 million euros, targeting the development of NGA in 12 municipalities 5, covering a population of over 51,000 people.
ICP-ANACOM was consulted at all stages of the tender process and assisted the Government in defining the minimum requirements and conditions of the wholesale offer of "open" access included in the tender documents. ICP-ANACOM also participated in the selection phase and analysis of proposals, and in verifying the access conditions proposed by the tendering operators.
In the context of the contracts in question, ICP-ANACOM also issued an opinion on the conditions of wholesale access to the network, including the offers presented by the selected operators. ICP-ANACOM will monitor the execution of the contracts made between the State and the prevailing tenderers, particularly with regard to the implementation of wholesale offers and in verifying that these offers are compliant with wholesale access obligations.
ICP-ANACOM also assisted the Government in notifying the EC on the procedure related to state aid in the context of public tenders for the installation, management, operation and maintenance of NGA in rural areas.
SIC - Sistema de Informação Centralizado (centralized information system)
The SIC was established under Decree-Law no. 123/2009 of 21 May and aims to ensure the availability of information on all infrastructure suitable for carrying electronic communications networks.
By ensuring the availability of information on such infrastructure, the SIC is essential to achieve open and efficient access to infrastructure suitable for carrying electronic communications networks.
The SIC will bring together all record information, and also all information on the procedures and rules governing the construction of new ducts and access to existing ducts. Plans to build new infrastructure will also be published in the SIC, so that operators can become involved in these project on a cost sharing basis.
Under the law, ICP-ANACOM is charged with the design, management and maintenance of the SIC, and is also responsible for ensuring that the SIC is accessible and available, whereas the entities responsible for the infrastructure concerned remain responsible for compiling and updating relevant information and making it available.
By determination of 11 November, ICP-ANACOM approved a final decision on the definition of items to be registered and the terms and format of availability of SIC information.
In this decision, ICP-ANACOM defines the items to be registered and the elements of characterization to be included in the SIC. The decision also established the terms by which the registration items are characterised geographically, through the association of their administrative location, as well as through geo-referencing, expressed in physical coordinates. By law, the entities covered by the obligation to provide information in the SIC are:
- the State, Autonomous Regions and local authorities;
- all entities under the authority or supervision of bodies of the State, Autonomous Regions and local authorities, performing administrative tasks, regardless of their entrepreneurial nature, as well as public companies and concessionaires, particularly those active in the field of infrastructure for roads, railways, ports, airports, water supply, sewerage, and transport and distribution of gas and electricity;
- other entities in possession of or operating infrastructure encompassed by the public domain of the State, Autonomous Regions and local authorities;
- electronic communications companies that provide publicly available electronic communications networks and services;
- entities in possession of infrastructure which is suitable for carrying electronic communications networks used by electronic communications companies.
The same determination of 11 November 2010 authorised the launch of an international tender for the deployment and management of the SIC, with approval of the respective tender specifications, tender schedule and the composition of the tender panel.
In the meantime, with the procedural phases completed, the process of selecting the SIC's managing body is being concluded, enabling deployment of the platform that will bring together the information that needs to be made available, using the templates and formats required by law.
1 Arouca, Castelo de Paiva, Povoa de Lanhoso, Vieira do Minho, Terras de Bouro, Cabeceira de Basto, Celorico de Basto, Alfândega da Fé, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Miranda do Douro, Mogadouro, Vimioso, Vinhais, Carrazeda de Ansiães, Freixo de Espada à Cinta, Torre de Moncorvo, Vila Flor, Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Baião, Arcos de Valdevez, Melgaço, Monção, Paredes de Coura, Ponte da Barca, Vila Nova de Cerveira, Boticas, Montalegre, Murça, Valpaços, Alijó, Mesão Frio, Sabrosa, Santa Marta de Penaguião, Mondim de Basto, Ribeira de Pena, Armamar, Moimenta da Beira, Penedono, São João da Pesqueira, Sernancelhe, Tabuaço, Tarouca, Cinfães and Resende.
2 Aljustrel, Almodôvar, Alvito, Barrancos, Mértola, Moura, Ourique, Serpa, Alandroal, Arraiolos, Mourão, Redondo, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Viana do Alentejo, Vila Viçosa, Mora, Sousel, Alter do Chão, Arronches, Avis, Castelo de Vide, Crato, Fronteira, Gavião, Marvão, Nisa, Ponte de Sor, Chamusca, Coruche, Golegã, Salvaterra de Magos, Alcoutim, Aljezur, Castro Marim, Monchique and Vila do Bispo.
3 Sever do Vouga, Idanha-a-Nova, Penamacor, Oleiros, Proença-a-Nova, Sertã, Vila de Rei, Penacova, Góis, Miranda do Corvo, Pampilhosa da Serra, Penela, Tábua, Vila Nova de Poiares, Almeida, Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Manteigas, Meda, Pinhel, Sabugal, Trancoso, Aguiar da Beira, Fornos de Algodres, Alvaiázere, Ansião, Castanheira de Pêra, Figueiró dos Vinhos, Pedrógão Grande, Constância, Ferreira do Zêzere, Sardoal, Vila Nova da Barquinha, Mação, Carregal do Sal, Castro Daire, Mortágua, Penalva do Castelo, Santa Comba Dão, São Pedro do Sul, Sátão, Vila Nova de Paiva, Vouzela.
4 Calheta, Porto Moniz, Porto Santo, Santana and São Vicente.
5 Calheta, Corvo, Lajes das Flores, Lajes do Pico, Madalena, Nordeste, Povoação, Santa Cruz da Graciosa, Santa Cruz das Flores, São Roque do Pico, Velas and Vila do Porto.
