ANACOM approves renewal of MEO and Vodafone's RUFs with additional obligations to cover 100 parishes

ANACOM has approved the renewal until 21 April 2033 of the rights of use for frequencies in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands granted to Vodafone and MEO. This renewal of the rights of use for frequencies carries additional obligations of coverage of 100 parishes with low population density, in which these providers will have to provide a mobile broadband service with a minimum speed of 100 Mbps, covering at least 90% of the population.

Having been observed that investments made by operators have not favoured evenly the different areas of the country, ANACOM considers it essential to maintain the coverage objectives for the less populated territories. Having a set of low-density parishes already been included in the obligations set out in the “5G Auction” Regulation, the 100 least populated parishes not included in that Regulation have now been identified (vide Annex 1).

Of these 100 parishes, MEO is required to ensure coverage in 56 parishes and Vodafone in 44 parishes. The difference in numbers concerns the amount of spectrum allocated to each of these operators.

This ANACOM decision was submitted to a prior hearing and public consultation for a period of 20 working days, during which MEO, NOS and Vodafone’s comments were received, as well as contributions from three citizens, the IUS OMNIBUS consumer association, nine Parish Councils and APRITEL.

The decision ensures that regulatory objectives that are incumbent on this Authority, namely to ensure the effective and efficient use of spectrum, to promote competition in retail markets, to encourage investment and to avoid disruptions in the continuity of provision of communications services, are met.

Given that radio spectrum is a scarce public resource, with a significant economic value, it should be guaranteed that this value will be enjoyed by as many consumers and users as possible. In this context, ANACOM believes that attaching new obligations to the rights of use for frequencies is an important mechanism for mitigating and eliminating deficiencies identified in terms of coverage and capacity provided in mobile networks, promoting economic and social cohesion in the national territory.

Under ANACOM’s decision, MEO and Vodafone are required to agree among themselves, by 30 June 2022, on the distribution of parishes to be covered, and inform ANACOM of the decision reached. Each operator cannot choose a parish in which it already has specific coverage obligations resulting from the Multiband Auction or the renewal of the 2.1 GHz RUF. It should be recalled that, in the first case, ANACOM imposed the additional coverage of 480 parishes and, in the second case, a further 588 parishes.

It is incumbent on ANACOM to approve the result of the agreement referred to in the preceding paragraph or, failing this, to decide on the distribution of parishes among the referred operators, using for this purpose a random draw by parish, thereby defining the geographical scope of the coverage obligations, which shall become an integral part of titles laying down the rights of use for frequencies.

Within one year from the date of approval of the agreement and/or the result of the draw, Vodafone and MEO are required to comply with the coverage obligations of the 100 parishes.

**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:

Approval of the renewal of the rights of use for frequencies allocated to Vodafone and MEO in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands for terrestrial electronic communications services https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1681822

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