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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

7. What information procedures are to be followed by operators regarding the publication of technical specifications?

  • Scope

This document contains the information procedures to be followed by public telecommunications network operators (PTNO) regarding the obligation to communicate the technical specifications of their interfaces to ANACOM, under the terms of paragraphs  1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 of article 30 of Decree-Law no. 192/2000 of 18 August.

  • References

1) Notice of ICP-ANACOM of 18.08.2004, published in Diário da República no. 204 (Series III) on 30 Augusthttps://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=228369.

2) Notice of ICP-ANACOM of 20.05.2003, published in Diário da República no. 128 (Series III) on 3 Junehttps://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=109508.

3) Decree-Law no. 192/2000 of 18 Augusthttps://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=17057.

4) PDF Directive 1999/5/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 9 March 1999  on radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity.

5) PDF Directive 1998/10/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 1998  on the application of open network provision (ONP) to voice telephony and on universal service for telecommunications in a competitive environment.

6) Guidance on interface publication by public telecommunications network operatorshttp://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/rtte/documents/guides_en.htm#h2-3 (guide 2). This guidance was produced for the European Commission and endorsed by the Telecommunications Conformity Assessment and Market Surveillance Committee, a standing Committee assisting the commission in the management of Directive 1999/5/EC.

7) Guidance for public networks operators when publishing interfaces, and NRAs/member states when supervising such publication http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/rtte/documents/guides_en.htm#h2-4(guide 3). The guidance was produced for the European Commission and endorsed by the Telecommunications Conformity and Market Surveillance Committee, a standing Committee assisting the Commission in the management of Directive 1999/5/EC (ETSIhttp://www.etsi.org/index.php).

8) ETSI TR 101 730 Publication of interface specification under Directive 1999/5/EC: Guidelines for describing analogue interfaces (ETSI).9) EG 201 212 Electrical Safety: Classification of interfaces for equipment to be connected to Telecommunication networks (CENELEChttps://www.cencenelec.eu/about-cenelec/).

10) ETSI TR 101 731, publication of interface specification under Directive 1999/5/EC: Guidelines for describing digital interfaces (ETSI).

11) ETSI TR 101 857, guidelines on description of cable network interfaces (ETSI).

12) EG 201 838, guidelines for describing radio access interfaces (ETSI).

13) ETSI TR 101 845, guidelines for description of RF interfaces (ETSI).

  • Details of the publication of interfaces

The models annexed to this document contain/are a pro-forma example that may be used in the declaration of interface specifications.

These specifications must contain information on the interworking of terminal equipment with the public telecommunications network in terms of the establishment, modification, taxation, maintenance and liberation of real or virtual connections, and avoid the improper use of network resources. These specifications must also state all and any details regarding supplementary services or other functions provided by the network which are considered to be important for the design and the operation of terminal equipment. 

PTNO (fixed networks) may, if they so decide, provide additional information, for example regarding the definition of the interface, the services supplied via this interface, facilities provided to designers/users for the purposes of interoperability tests etc. 

When interface specifications are drawn up, the following points should be taken into consideration:

  • Reference to standards or specifications: whenever possible interface specifications must refer to standards that have already been published, in the following order of priority:

1. Standards published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC of 26/07/2001, reference 2001/C208/04);

2. European Standards adopted by ETSIhttp://www.etsi.org/index.php or CENhttps://www.cen.eu/CENELEChttps://www.cencenelec.eu/about-cenelec/;

3. International standards or recommendations adopted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITUhttps://www.itu.int/en/Pages/default.aspx), International Organization for Standardization (ISOhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home.htm) or the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEChttp://www.iec.ch);

4. National standards or specifications. 

Note: This list does not exclude references to manufacturers' standards, provided that they have been adopted in the absence of a standard contained within any of the above categories.

- Options in the standards: When a standard contains options and these were considered in the specification of the interfaces, indication should be made of which options were implemented.

- Supplementary services: All supplementary services supplied by the network must be published, together with the codes used for their operation.

- Reference to other documents: PTNOs may partially or fully refer to other internal documents that form part of the definition of their interfaces. In this case, the operator must guarantee a level of accessibility to documents which are identical to the documents listed above.

  • Publication

a) Format - PTNOs must guarantee that the details of this documentation supplies the minimum level of information indicated in the documents contained in the annexes:

PDF Annex I - Access interface to the public switched telephone network

PDF Annex II - Access interface to the digital network with integration of services

It is recommended that the documentation regarding the different interfaces be published in different documents. 

The technical characteristics of the interfaces defined in these documents must be clear, precise, unambiguous and easy to use.

b) Language and control of versions - These documents must be published in Portuguese and/or English and their versions must be controlled.

c) Availability of the publications - PTNOs must provide ANACOM with a point of contact (name, address, telephone,...) in order that the Regulator has access to all published publications. This point of contact should be kept updated. It is also desirable that a point of contact be established between operators and users in order to provide clarifications or correct possible errors in the publications. 

In order to minimise the costs and the complexity associated with the distribution of publications it is advisable that, whenever possible, operators provide publications online, indicating the respective internet address. 
Where this is not possible, the production and distribution costs of such publications shall be borne exclusively by the operators.

d) Alteration to publications - Alterations to the existing network interface specifications and  information on new existing specifications on the same subject must be communicated to ANACOM at least 60 days before services are provided to the general public using these interfaces.

  • ANACOM contact details

ANACOM can be contacted about this matter using the following details:
Inspection and Investigation Directorate
Alto do Paimão
2730 - 216 Barcarena
Tel.: + 351 21 434 85 00
Fax: + 351 21 434 85 02
Email: redcem@anacom.pt

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