National cooperation

In this section, a summary is presented of the actions developed by ICP-ANACOM with respect to cooperation at national level, with particular focus on the work done in the analysis of restrictive practices and on issues of technical standardization.

• AdC - Autoridade da Concorrência (Competition Authority)

In 2010, ICP-ANACOM responded to requests from AdC - Autoridade da Concorrência (Portuguese Competition Authority) made in relation to complaints submitted by companies in the electronic communications sector. One such complaint was submitted by Cabovisão - Televisão por Cabo, S.A. (Cabovisão) to the Competition Authority against ZON Multimédia - Serviços de Telecomunicações e Multimédia, SGPS, SA and against its subsidiaries, ZON TV Cabo, SA, Sport TV Portugal, SA and ZON Conteúdos - Actividade de Televisão e de Produção de Conteúdos, SA, alleging abuse of dominant position. Pursuant to the provisions of article 29 of the Lei da Concorrência (Competition Law) and in compliance therewith, AdC notified ICP-ANACOM, seeking its position on the facts set out in the complaint. ICP-ANACOM duly responded to this request.

• IPQ - Instituto Português de Qualidade (Portuguese Quality Institute)

In 2010, the activities undertaken with respect to ICP-ANACOM sector standardisation body (SSB) for telecommunications, postal activity and electromagnetic compatibility, comprised about 200 queries, distributed by theme as in the graph below:

Graph 48 - Sector Standardisation Body - technical committee queries in 2010

Source: ICP-ANACOM.

These queries came from standardisation bodies such as ETSI, CEI, CEN and CENELEC, with participation of the national electrotechnical technical committees:

- CTE 46 - cables, wires and wave guides for telecommunication equipment;

- CTE 210 - electromagnetic compatibility;

- CTE 215 - electrotechnical aspects of telecommunications equipment;

- CTE 209 - cable networks for television signals, radio signals and interactive services.

With the technical committees in the context of CEMAH - Impact of electromagnetic radiation on the human environment - and postal activity not yet constituted ¹, ICP-ANACOM’s SSB conducts interested party queries.

ICP-ANACOM participated in the IPQ's seminar on CE marking, with the presentation "ICP-ANACOM's role in giving credibility to CE marking", with the aim of raising awareness and informing businesses about the CE mark, its importance and the role it plays in the development of the single market.

• GAM-TD - Grupo de Acompanhamento da Migração para a Televisão Digital (Digital Television Migration Monitoring Group)

ICP-ANACOM hosted two plenary meetings of the GAM-TD - Grupo de Acompanhamento da Migração para a Televisão Digital (Digital Television Migration Monitoring Group), established by Resolution of Council of Ministers no. 26/2009. These meetings, which included representatives of the organisations most directly involved in the analogue-digital transition process, should assist ICP-ANACOM in promoting the conditions necessary to accomplish this transition. ICP-ANACOM produced a quarterly progress report on the analogue-digital transition process, based on information collected through the GAM-TD, data submitted to ICP-ANACOM by key participants in the process and information gathered directly from the organizations that handle statistical or market information.

• Autoridade Nacional de Protecção Civil (National Authority for Civil Protection)

In search of optimum solutions to provide bodies which have civil protection responsibilities with the communications resources appropriate to their activities, ICP-ANACOM concluded a Protocol with Autoridade Nacional de Protecção Civil (National Authority Civil Protection). This protocol establishes mechanisms for cooperation between the parties in the context of the actions necessary to develop and put into operation the public communications component of the Plano Nacional de Comunicações da Protecção Civil (National Communication Civil Protection Plan), which, under current legislation, should be supported on public electronic communications networks and services.

The two Authorities initiated joint projects, particularly with regard to the use of electronic communications in warning and alert systems through the use of mobile networks and in the formulation, with other entities, of the new national civil protection emergency plan.

ICP-ANACOM was also engaged in specific cooperation with certain civilian and municipal governments in this area, where developments may occur.

• MDN - Ministério da Defesa Nacional (Ministry of Defence)

A protocol was concluded with the Ministry of Defence, under which a cooperation agreement was developed for the technical testing of Global Maritime Distress and Safety Systems (GMDSS). In this respect, joint actions were developed between ICP-ANACOM and MDN in order to assess GMDSS coverage in the coastal waters of Mainland Portugal.

• DECO - Associação Portuguesa para a Defesa do Consumidor (Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection)

In October 2010 a protocol was signed between ANACOM and DECO with a view to DECO carrying out comparative testing of DTT signal decoders (set-top boxes) and the subsequent reporting of results.

• Ordem dos Engenheiros (Order of Engineers) and Associação Nacional dos Engenheiros Técnicos (National Association of Technical Engineers)

ICP-ANACOM concluded a protocol with the Ordem dos Engenheiros (Order of Engineers) and Associação Nacional dos Engenheiros Técnicos ( National Association of Technical Engineers) in order to provide this Order and Association with professional expertise in the context of the regime governing the construction of infrastructure suitable for the accommodation and installation of electronic telecommunications networks and the installation of telecommunications infrastructure in buildings and in housing developments, urban settlements and concentrations of building (ITED/ITUR), to ensure quality and that procedures are in compliance of with applicable legislation.

• Municipal Councils and ITED technicians

A cycle of four seminars was conducted in 2010 targeting Municipal Councils and ITED technicians, with the aim of promoting discussion and clarifying issues related to the legal and technical regime under ITED/ITUR, the implementation of DTT and the SIC.