ANACOM - Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações conducted about 5500 enforcement actions over the course of 2014. Pursuant to its sector oversight function, ICP-ANACOM carries out enforcement actions to verify the conduct of market agents and the conditions of radio spectrum use. Generally, each action undertaken focuses on the verification of multiple situations.
In the electronic communications sector, a total of 353 enforcement actions were conducted, focusing mainly on contract lock-in periods, compliance with number portability rules, subscription contracts used by the principal service providers, provision of audiotext services and SMS-based value added services, problems related to cable television broadcasting reception, functioning of voice-mail and other matters.
The postal sector was the subject of 270 enforcement actions during the year, with activity checked in 263 post offices and seven distribution centres belonging to CTT - Correios de Portugal.
As regards the rules governing telecommunications infrastructure in buildings and in urban developments - rules deemed essential to ensure competition in the sector and ensure proper access to services - ANACOM's goal has been to verify that agent activity is in compliance with applicable rules, and to check that all equipment, devices and materials used fulfil prevailing technical and legal requirements. In total, over 450 actions took place.
In the area of spectrum oversight, 2,827 preventative actions were completed and 1,587 reactive actions - undertaken in response to complaints received by ANACOM - to verify the correct and efficient use of spectrum. These actions are vital for ensuring that no loss of quality occurs in the provision of different services and that there are no security vulnerabilities which might pose a threat to people and property as a result of interference.
In overseeing use of the spectrum, ANACOM conducts visits to verify that networks and stations are operating in accordance with the law. This activity is carried out on a regular and ongoing basis and also whenever temporary events take place, such as concerts and football matches, which entail the use of frequencies. The series of music festivals staged in Portugal over the summer and the Champions League Final, held in Lisbon, led to the intense activity seen in this area in 2014.
Some inspection activities led to the detection of irregularities, giving rise to the instigation of breach proceedings. During 2014, breach proceeding were brought in 346 cases, bringing the total number of cases being analysed by ANACOM during the year to 1,270.
