The conditions for the award of licences for Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technology have now been set, following the government's publication of regulations on licensing and frequency charges.
FWA is a new technology with applications in various fields, including the fixed telephone service, data transmission and Internet, videoconference and TV signal transmission.
In general terms, FWA provides an alternative to the copper wire connection in communication between operators' local switching centres and their subscribers. Licence applications are to be accepted shortly, and the licensing process is expected to be rapid.
One new feature in the licensing procedure is in the frequency charge paid by operators. For the first time, spectrum use in the less developed regions is actively promoted, with charges in these areas lower than those for Greater Lisbon, Greater Porto, Setúbal and the Algarve.
The frequency bands for which licences are to be awarded are: 3600-3800 MHz, for voice telephony and low-speed Internet connections, with three licences to be awarded; 24.5-26.5 GHz, for multimedia services, with six slots available; and 27.5-29.5 GHz, with priority given to TV signal transmission and with two licences available.
