ANACOM - Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (National Communications Authority) will start promoting yearly conferences to debate subjects related to the regulation of the telecommunications sector. The first Portuguese regulator's conference is foreseen for May 2006.
For the first conference ANACOM intends to release some studies submitted to it by the Portuguese academy, further to its invitation. Indeed, the communications regulator invited the Portuguese academy to submit proposals for studies on matters such as the impact of communications on the Portuguese economic growth; the efficiency of the national communications operators; costs and benefits of universal service obligations; economic impacts of flat tariffs; the characterization of communications services demand; and impacts of the postal sector's liberalization.
The studies should be applied to the Portuguese reality, with specific results involving scientifically recognized methodologies and the adequate data treatment, in order to provide quantitative answers to concrete questions. The proposals for the studies should be sent until 11 November next and will be evaluated by a jury made up by Professors Fernando Branco, Steffen Hoernig and Reka Horvath.
The studies must be completed and delivered to ICP-ANACOM until 31 March 2006, and a draft version should be submitted until 28 February.
