ANACOM approves renewal of rights of use of frequencies held by MEO and Vodafone with additional coverage obligations for 100 parishes

By draft decision, ANACOM has approved the renewal of the rights of use of frequencies in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands allocated to Vodafone and MEO until 21 April 2033. Renewal of these rights is made subject to additional obligations to provide coverage in 100 parishes with low population density. The operators will have to provide these parishes with a mobile broadband service of a speed not less than 100 Mbps, covering at least 90% of the population.

Noting that there are areas of Portugal that have not benefited equally from investments made by the operators, it is considered essential to maintain the objectives of ensuring that coverage is extended to areas of lower population density. With a set of parishes already included in the obligations associated with the “5G Auction” Regulation, the next 100 parishes with lowest population density (not included in this Regulation) have now been identified (see Annex 1).

Of these 100 parishes, 56 will be covered by MEO and 44 will be covered by Vodafone, in line with the amount of spectrum allocated to each operator.

This decision, which is now subject to a prior hearing and public consultation for a period of 20 working days, makes it possible to accomplish the regulatory objectives assigned to ANACOM, especially in terms of ensuring effective and efficient use of the spectrum, promoting competition in retail markets, encouraging investment and avoiding disruption to continuity in the provision of communications services.

Since the radio spectrum is a scarce public resource with significant economic value, the benefits of the spectrum must be made available to the maximum number of consumers and users. In this context, ANACOM considers that the association of new obligations with rights of use of frequencies is an important mechanism to mitigate and eliminate identified deficiencies, in terms of coverage and in terms of mobile network capacity, promoting economic and social cohesion throughout Portugal.

Under the terms of ANACOM's draft decision, MEO and Vodafone will have until 30 June 2022 to reach an agreement on the distribution of the parishes where there are required to provide coverage. The result of this agreement must be reported to ANACOM. The operators cannot select parishes where they are already subject to specific coverage obligations arising from the Multiband Auction or the renewal of the Rights of Frequencies in respect of the 2.1 GHz band. In this respect, it should be recalled that ANACOM made operators subject to obligations to provide coverage in an additional 480 parishes as a result of the Multiband Auction, and an additional 588 more parishes with renewal of the Rights of Frequencies in respect of the 2.1 GHz band.

The result of the agreement referred to above between MEO and Vodafone must be approved by ANACOM. If no agreement is reached, ANACOM will decide on the distribution of parishes between the two operators by means of a random allocation. As such the geographic scope of the coverage obligations will be accomplished, constituting an integral part of the titles that govern the rights of use of frequencies.

Vodafone and MEO are required to achieve compliance with the coverage obligations applicable to the 100 parishes no later than one year following the date on which the agreement is approved and/or following the result of the random allocation.

Annex 1

Parish	Municipality	District
Canha	MONTIJO	SETÚBAL
Raposa	ALMEIRIM	SANTARÉM
União das freguesias de Bensafrim e Barão de São João	LAGOS	FARO
Valada	CARTAXO	SANTARÉM
Porto Covo	SINES	SETÚBAL
Arrouquelas	RIO MAIOR	SANTARÉM
Muge	SALVATERRA DE MAGOS	SANTARÉM
Ota	ALENQUER	LISBOA
Vau	ÓBIDOS	LEIRIA
União das freguesias de Poceirão e Marateca	PALMELA	SETÚBAL
Santo Estevão	BENAVENTE	SANTARÉM
Coimbrão	LEIRIA	LEIRIA
São Sebastião	RIO MAIOR	SANTARÉM
Bom Sucesso	FIGUEIRA DA FOZ	COIMBRA
Vila Nova da Rainha	AZAMBUJA	LISBOA
União das freguesias de Manique do Intendente, Vila Nova de São Pedro e Maçussa	AZAMBUJA	LISBOA
Vila Verde dos Francos	ALENQUER	LISBOA
São Caetano	CANTANHEDE	COIMBRA
Azinhaga	GOLEGÃ	SANTARÉM
União das freguesias de Outeiro da Cortiçada e Arruda dos Pisões	RIO MAIOR	SANTARÉM
Mexilhoeira Grande	PORTIMÃO	FARO
Chancelaria	TORRES NOVAS	SANTARÉM
Monsanto	ALCANENA	SANTARÉM
União das freguesias de Glória do Ribatejo e Granho	SALVATERRA DE MAGOS	SANTARÉM
União das freguesias de Pegões	MONTIJO	SETÚBAL
Serra de Santo António	ALCANENA	SANTARÉM
Amoreira	ÓBIDOS	LEIRIA
Alguber	CADAVAL	LISBOA
Tocha	CANTANHEDE	COIMBRA
União das freguesias de Abrunheira, Verride e Vila Nova da Barca	MONTEMOR-O-VELHO	COIMBRA
Pedrógão	TORRES NOVAS	SANTARÉM
Samora Correia	BENAVENTE	SANTARÉM
Vidais	CALDAS DA RAINHA	LEIRIA
Avelãs de Cima	ANADIA	AVEIRO
Peral	CADAVAL	LISBOA
União das freguesias de Malhou, Louriceira e Espinheiro	ALCANENA	SANTARÉM
Fráguas	RIO MAIOR	SANTARÉM
Quiaios	FIGUEIRA DA FOZ	COIMBRA
Pombalinho	GOLEGÃ	SANTARÉM
Alcobertas	RIO MAIOR	SANTARÉM
União das freguesias de Azambujeira e Malaqueijo	RIO MAIOR	SANTARÉM
Asseiceira	RIO MAIOR	SANTARÉM
União das freguesias de Marmeleira e Assentiz	RIO MAIOR	SANTARÉM
Tentúgal	MONTEMOR-O-VELHO	COIMBRA
União das freguesias de Lamas e Cercal	CADAVAL	LISBOA
Paderne	ALBUFEIRA	FARO
Ribeira de Fráguas	ALBERGARIA-A-VELHA	AVEIRO
Ourentã	CANTANHEDE	COIMBRA
Bugalhos	ALCANENA	SANTARÉM
União das freguesias de Portunhos e Outil	CANTANHEDE	COIMBRA
União das freguesias de Brogueira, Parceiros de Igreja e Alcorochel	TORRES NOVAS	SANTARÉM
União das freguesias de São João da Ribeira e Ribeira de São João	RIO MAIOR	SANTARÉM
São Brás de Alportel	SÃO BRÁS DE ALPORTEL	FARO
Aveiras de Baixo	AZAMBUJA	LISBOA
Moita dos Ferreiros	LOURINHÃ	LISBOA
Benavente	BENAVENTE	SANTARÉM
Gafanha da Boa Hora	VAGOS	AVEIRO
Olho Marinho	ÓBIDOS	LEIRIA
Murtede	CANTANHEDE	COIMBRA
Sanguinheira	CANTANHEDE	COIMBRA
São Jacinto	AVEIRO	AVEIRO
Vila Nova de Monsarros	ANADIA	AVEIRO
União das freguesias de Dois Portos e Runa	TORRES VEDRAS	LISBOA
Moita	ANADIA	AVEIRO
Aguiar de Sousa	PAREDES	PORTO
Alcoentre	AZAMBUJA	LISBOA
União das freguesias de São Bartolomeu dos Galegos e Moledo	LOURINHÃ	LISBOA
União das freguesias de Pataias e Martingança	ALCOBAÇA	LEIRIA
Seixo	MIRA	COIMBRA
Reguengo do Fetal	BATALHA	LEIRIA
Praia de Mira	MIRA	COIMBRA
Capela	PENAFIEL	PORTO
Alvorninha	CALDAS DA RAINHA	LEIRIA
Famalicão	NAZARÉ	LEIRIA
Alpiarça	ALPIARÇA	SANTARÉM
União das freguesias de Covões e Camarneira	CANTANHEDE	COIMBRA
União das freguesias de Olaia e Paço	TORRES NOVAS	SANTARÉM
Carvalhal	BOMBARRAL	LEIRIA
Vila Chã de Ourique	CARTAXO	SANTARÉM
União das freguesias de Ribafria e Pereiro de Palhacana	ALENQUER	LISBOA
Vila Nova de Cacela	VILA REAL DE SANTO ANTÓNIO	FARO
Santiago dos Velhos	ARRUDA DOS VINHOS	LISBOA
A dos Negros	ÓBIDOS	LEIRIA
São Mamede	BATALHA	LEIRIA
Vila Franca de Xira	VILA FRANCA DE XIRA	LISBOA
Sines	SINES	SETÚBAL
União das freguesias de Coz, Alpedriz e Montes	ALCOBAÇA	LEIRIA
Torreira	MURTOSA	AVEIRO
União das freguesias de Colmeias e Memória	LEIRIA	LEIRIA
Sado	SETÚBAL	SETÚBAL
Assentiz	TORRES NOVAS	SANTARÉM
Ferreira-a-Nova	FIGUEIRA DA FOZ	COIMBRA
Alqueidão	FIGUEIRA DA FOZ	COIMBRA
Ereira	MONTEMOR-O-VELHO	COIMBRA
A dos Francos	CALDAS DA RAINHA	LEIRIA
Carvalhal Benfeito	CALDAS DA RAINHA	LEIRIA
União das freguesias de Maxial e Monte Redondo	TORRES VEDRAS	LISBOA
Carnota	ALENQUER	LISBOA
União das freguesias de Abrigada e Cabanas de Torres	ALENQUER	LISBOA
Odiáxere	LAGOS	FARO

Annex 2

Consult:

Consultation on the renewal of right of use of frequencies allocated to Vodafone Portugal and MEO in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequency bands for terrestrial electronic communications services https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1646761