Chronology of Mobile Communications in Portugal

MTS/GSM (2nd generation) and IMT2000/UMTS (3rd generation)
 

8 July 2009

Amendment of Portability Regulation by ANACOM.

1 July 2009

Approval by ANACOM of Regulation on the settlement and collection of fees due thereto.

24 June 2009

ANACOM launches “Roaming Light” information campaign on international roaming.

3 June 2009

ANACOM’s decision on adaptation of the National Numbering Plan (NNP) to message-based valued added services.

20 May 2009

Withdrawal of public tender measure that granted a right of use for frequencies in the 450-470 MHz band, of national scope, for the provision of a publicly available mobile land service.

2 February 2009

Release of an evaluation study of the quality of voice services (GSM), video-telephony services (UMTS) and network coverage services (GSM and WCDMA) provided in main urban settlements – Ponta Delgada, Angra do Heroísmo and Funchal - and motorway axes of mainland Portugal.

14 January 2009

Decision on the inclusion of data of users of mobile telephone services (MTS) in Universal Service (US) directories and directory enquiry services.

31 December 2008

The mobile telephone service reaches 14,910 million subscribers and a rate of penetration of 140.4%.

2 December 2008

Release of an evaluation study of the quality of voice services (GSM), video-telephony services (UMTS) and network coverage services (GSM and WCDMA) provided in main urban settlements and motorway axes of mainland Portugal.

August 2008

Public tender for the allocation of a right of use for frequencies in the 450-470 MHz band, of national scope, for the provision of a publicly available mobile land service. The tender winner was Rede Nacional de Telecomunicações, S.A. (RNT).

13 August 2008

ANACOM’s decision on the introduction of mobile communication services on aircraft (MCA).

6 August 2008

Approval by ANACOM of final decision on introduction of the GSM-R system and definition of the respective type of authorisation.

Approval by ANACOM of view taken on call origination prices in mobile networks.

July 2008

Release of an evaluation study of quality of SMS (short message service) and MMS (multimedia messaging service) services, prepared by ANACOM.

ANACOM’s decision on specification of the price control obligation with respect to the wholesale market for voice call termination in mobile networks.

21 June 2008

Release of study promoted by ANACOM on impact of next generation networks (NGN) in the Portuguese market of electronic communications. This report presents the main results of the evaluation of the quality of the mobile voice service, undertaken by ANACOM during the months of May and June 2008, in the areas of Lisbon and Porto, and included mobile voice services and network coverage (GSM and WCDMA/UMTS) in the areas of Greater Lisbon and Greater Porto and along the Lisbon-Porto motorway axis.

17 May 2008

Release of an evaluation study of the quality of voice services (GSM), video-telephony services (UMTS) and network coverage services (GSM and WCDMA), provided in main urban settlements and motorway axes of mainland Portugal.

Release of an evaluation study of the quality of voice services (GSM), video-telephony services (UMTS) and network coverage services (GSM and WCDMA), provided in the Alfa Pendular Service of CP (Portuguese Railways).

11 January 2008

Release of an evaluation study of the quality of voice services (GSM), video-telephony services (UMTS) and network coverage services (GSM and WCDMA) provided in main urban settlements – Ponta Delgada, Angra do Heroísmo and Funchal - and motorway axes of all islands of the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira.

31 December 2007

The mobile telephone service reaches 13,45 million subscribers and a rate of penetration of 126.9%.

24 October 2007

ANACOM’s decision on request for authorisation to transfer rights of use for frequencies and numbers from OPTIMUS to NOVIS TELECOM.h

20 March 2007

Study released on the quality of voice services (GSM), video-telephony (UMTS) and network coverage (GSM and WCDMA) in the main urban agglomerations and major roads of mainland Portugal.

9 February 2007

ANACOM set out a framework for the activity of mobile virtual network operators (MVNO), in particular regarding the general authorisation regime and rights and obligation issues in the area of numbering and interconnection.

31 December 2006

The number of Mobile Telephone Service subscribers reached 12.2 million – a penetration rate of 115.7 per cent.

February 2006

Study published on the quality of GSM mobile services on railways.

Study published gauging the quality of GSM mobile services.

31 December 2005

The number of Mobile Telephone Service subscribers reached 11,447 million.

November 2005

New functions made available on the mobile telephone service Tariff Monitor (TM) - text message (SMS) and multimedia message (MMS) services.

September 2005

Study published on the quality of GSM mobile services in the Azores and Madeira.

Study published on the quality of short message services (SMS) as available on the GMS mobile networks.

July 2005

Study published on the quality of service as regards long duration calls.

Launch of the Tariff Monitor (TM), a simulator for the voice service developed in cooperation with the three mobile operators (Optimus, TMN and Vodafone Portugal).

3 March 2005

Publication of study on assessment of quality of mobile networks (QoS GSM).

25 February 2005

Approval of decision on definition of product markets and geographical markets, assessment of significant market power (SMP) and imposition, maintenance, alteration or suppression of regulatory obligations on wholesale markets of voice call termination on individual mobile networks (market 16 of Commission Recommendation 2003/311/EC, of 11 February 2003), and on the price control obligation for wholesale markets of voice call termination on individual mobile networks.

31 December 2004

The Mobile Telephone Service reaches 10,362 million subscribers.

23 November 2004

Approval of report of the hearing granted to operators of the mobile telephone service (MTS) on the report of the audit to the respective statistical elements, adopted by determination of 23 November 2004, the implementation of the correspondent remedies having been recommended and or determined.

4 June 2004

Launching of UMTS commercial offer - Optimus

5 May 2004

Launching of UMTS commercial offer - Vodafone

21 April 2004

Launching of UMTS commercial offer - TMN

17 February 2004

Publication of the survey of the GSM mobile networks' quality of service (QoS-GSM). The study was carried out between November and December 2003, involving test calls made in thirty cities included all mainland district capitals, and also covering the Lisbon and Oporto metropolitan regions and main road arteries on the mainland.

10 February 2004

Approval of the report related to the requests submitted by the operators licensed to operate UMTS systems.

31 December 2003

Land mobile service subscriptions reached 10,030 million.

28 January 2003

Publication of Survey on Quality of Service of Mobile (QoS-GSM), in December 2002.

13 January 2003

Allocation, by Order of the Minister for the Economy, of additional frequencies to the three UMTS operators - Optimus, TMN e Vodafone.

Repeal, by Order of  the  Minister for the Economy, of the UMTS licence allocated to OniWay.

31 December 2002

Land mobile service subscriptions reached 8,670 million.

30 December 2002

Deadline extension, till 31 December 2003, for the beginning of the activity licensed by UMTS operators.

6 December 2002

Approval by ANACOM of the teamwork report on the condition and implementation forecast of UMTS systems as well as on the proposals to be submitted to the Ministry of Economy and further associated measures.

3 December 2002

Signing of agreements (three) between ONI SGPS and OniWay, on the one hand, and TMN, Optimus and Vodafone, on the other hand, following OniWay's decision on discontinuing its activity.

October, 2002

Disclosure of results of third survey on quality of service of mobile networks (QoS GSM 2002).

March / May / June / September / October 2002

ANACOM's decisions on the agreement entered into between TMN and OniWay and network interconnection dispute that opposes OniWay to Vodafone and to Optimus.

February, 2002

Start of land measurements within the third survey on the quality of service of public land mobile networks (QoS GSM 2002).

1 January 2002

Introduction of operator number portability in the mobile network.

31 December 2001

Land Mobile Service attains 8 million subscribers.

October, 2001

Launch of UMTS postponed to December 31, 2002.

31 August 2001

Disclosure of results of second survey on the quality of service of public land mobile networks (QoS GSM 2001).

11 January 2001

Issue of UMTS licenses.

8 January 2001

Creation of a working group, by Resolution of the Council of Ministers, to guarantee a link between UMTS operators, ANACOM and the Inter-Ministerial Commission for the Information Society.

31 December 2000

Land Mobile Service attains 6.7 million subscribers.

19 December 2000

Announcement by the Minister of Social Equipment of winners of the public tender.

3 October 2000

Announcement of bids accepted to the public tender.

29 September 2000

Close of deadline for submission of bids.

1 August 2000

Launch of public tender for assignment of four national licenses to operate International Mobile Telecommunications Systems (IMT2000/UMTS).

May, 2000

Disclosure of the results of the first survey on Quality of Service of public land mobile networks (QoS GSM 2000).

31 December 1999

Land Mobile Service attains 4.7 million subscribers.

31 October 1999

TMN abandons analogue technology.

April, 1999

Public Consultation to receive statements of interest on the provision of services and/or constitution of networks within the framework of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS).

31 December 1998

Land Mobile Service attains 3.1 million subscribers.

August, 1998

Launch of activity of third mobile operator - Optimus.

31 December 1997

Land Mobile Service attains 1.5 million subscribers.

1997

Public tender for the assignment of a license to operate second generation technology - GSM and DCS 1800 (bands 900 MHz and 1800 MHz). 1 bid submitted to the public tender - Optimus. License is granted to Optimus.

Assignment of DCS 1800 frequencies to the mobile operators present in the market - TMN and Telecel.

31 December 1996

Land Mobile Service attains 663,700 subscribers.

31 December 1995

Land Mobile Service attains 340,800 subscribers.

31 December 1994

Land Mobile Service attains 173,500 subscribers.

31 December 1993

Land Mobile Service attains 101,200 subscribers.

31 December 1992

Land Mobile Service attains 37,300 subscribers.

1992

Launch of activity of second mobile operator - Telecel - and start of operations of TMN's GSM network. TMN is automatically assigned a GSM license.

31 December 1991

Land Mobile Service attains 12,600 subscribers.

1991

Public tender for the assignment of a license to operate second generation technology - GSM (band - 900 MHz). 8 bids submitted to tender. Telecel is winner

31 December 1990

Land Mobile Service attains 6,500 subscribers.

31 December 1989

Land Mobile Service attains 2,800 subscribers.

1989

Launch of Land Mobile Service, using analogue technology (first generation) by operator constituted as a consortium between CTT and TLP, subsequently renamed TMN.