On 6 October 2011, ICP-ANACOM hosted its fifth international conference in Lisbon, on the theme "Liberalisation of the postal service: year one", which was attended by speakers from various areas of the postal sector, including national regulatory authorities, industry and international organizations.
The year 2011 marked the beginning of full liberalisation of the postal service in the EU, a particularly important development in the communications sector. This conference provided an opportunity to make an assessment of progress, with debate revolving around the main themes of the works: the regulation of postal liberalisation; new strategies for the open market; and new business opportunities.
ICP-ANACOM was also in charge of organizing the fourth congress of the Portuguese Committee of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI), held in 2011 on the theme "Detection and measurement of radio signals in the future of radiocommunications". This conference, held in Lisbon in November, was preceded by a call for papers, directed at academia, seeking the submission of works in areas related to the event's theme.
The Portuguese Committee of URSI has the objective of stimulating, promoting and co-ordinating studies, at a national level, in the areas of radio-electric, telecommunications, and electronics science, whereas ICP-ANACOM is responsible for organising these works.
During the Congress, awards were made of the Portuguese Committee of URSI Career Prize, the ANACOM - URSI Portugal prize, and also the Best Student Paper Award, launched in 2011.
The Career Prize, which honours an individual who has contributed to the advancement of radio science in Portugal, was awarded to António Amândio Sanches de Magalhães, an engineer by training and a pioneer in national radio-astronomy. The ANACOM - URSI Portugal prize was awarded ex aequo to the works: (i) "UHF/UWB hybrid antennas for passive RFID for localization and identification systems for interior environment" by Ana Catarina Caniço Cruz, Instituto de Telecomunicações (Telecommunications Institute), ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE - Lisbon University Institute) and of Instituto Superior Técnico - Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (IST Technical University of Lisbon). ; and (ii) "Novel excitation signals for efficient microwave power transmission: from theory to system integration in commercial RFID reader”, by Alírio de Jesus Soares Boaventura, of the Department of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, of Universidade de Aveiro. It was also decided to award an honourable mention
to Professor Fernando Velez for the work "Fixed WIMAX Profit Maximisation with Energy Saving Through Relay Sleep Modes and Cell Zooming”. With the goal of encouraging young authors, for the first time ICP-ANACOM sponsored the Best Student Paper Award, with a value of 500 euros. The prize was awarded to Marco Carvalho, of the Electronic and Telecommunications and Computer Engineering Department of ISEL - Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa (Lisbon Superior Engineering Institute) and of the Instituto de Telecomunicações (Telecommunications Institute), for the work "An Enhanced Handover Oscillation Control Algorithm in Self-Optimizing LTE Networks".
A series of different workshops and seminars were also held over the course of 2011, organised and promoted by ICP-ANACOM - these are listed below:
- workshop "Application of R&TTE Regime - the role of oversight bodies and market agents", on 29 November, targeting manufacturers, representatives and distributors of electronic communications equipment, in order to provide information about the placing of radio and telecommunications terminal equipment (R&TTE regime) on the market, as well as on the role of the authorities responsible for enforcing the regime;
- seminars on "ITED-ITUR Regime, Information System and Digital Terrestrial Television", 4 July in Santarem, and 28 September in Viseu. Targeting municipal council technicians, the aim of these seminars was to raise awareness of issues related to ITED, ITUR, CIS and the deployment of DTT;
- second ARCTEL-CPLP Lusophone Forum Communications, on the theme "Challenges and opportunities" on 14 and 15 April, in Sintra. The discussion focused on three main themes: the challenges of regional regulation; sector business organizations; and partnerships for development. In parallel a Technology Exhibition was held with the presence of 24 exhibiters showcasing the most recent innovations and offers of the communications sector.
Meanwhile, the "ANACOM Seminar" initiative was continued in 2011, with the aim of promoting knowledge, reflection and debate on various topics of importance to the communications sector through the presentation and discussion of academic and other papers or projects from Portugal and abroad. Two seminars were organised on the following topics: (i) Regulatory Remedies to mitigate asymmetric VAT-Exemptions (21 March); and (ii) "Spectrum Auctions: Theory and Practice" (5 April).
Furthermore, ICP-ANACOM organised 17 technical meetings within the scope of the working groups and international organizations in which it participates, pursuant to its responsibilities of providing representation of the communications sector, in particular, within the ECC, IRG/Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), EMERG and CEPT.
