Resolution of the Assembly of the Republic no.11/2012, published on 6 February

Published in D.R. number 26 (Series I) of 6 February 2012

Assembleia da República (Assembly of the Republic)

Resolution

Recommends that the Government should adopt the necessary measures to guarantee the universal coverage of the digital signal, either by digital terrestrial television (DTT) or by satellite, at no additional cost for users, thus ensuring that no citizens are excluded, especially for economic reasons, from access to the digital television signal; the Government should also promote, through the competent bodies, an increased action in the area of information and monitoring of the process of implementation of the digital terrestrial television (DTT).

The Assembly of the Republic, pursuant to paragraph 5 of article 166 of the Constitution, hereby recommends that the Government should:

1 - Promote the dissemination to competent bodies of areas included in the so-called “shadow areas”.

2 - Effectively promote, through competent bodies, namely the regulatory authority and Portugal Telecom Comunicações, as well as local authorities, for obvious reasons of proximity, information campaigns on the implementation of DTT/DTH among populations, especially those living in the “shadow areas”.

3 - Through competent bodies, promote monitoring action to prevent and punish abusive practices that have been reported.

4 - Develop all necessary measures so that no citizens are excluded, especially for economic reasons, from access to the digital television signal, and promote, through the competent bodies, an appropriate dissemination of the procedures required to obtain subsidies for equipment.

5 - Urge Autoridade Nacional das Comunicações (ANACOM) and Portugal Telecom (PT) to resume the agreement concluded between them in 2008, thus meeting obligations provided for in points a) and d) of paragraph 1 and 2 of article 9, according to which:

«PTC shall [...] use in an effective and efficient manner the assigned frequencies, being bound to comply with the following coverage obligations: to ensure [...] coverage of 100% of the population, at least 87.26% thereof being covered by DTT, and to guarantee that the population whose coverage is ensured only by resource to complementary means, namely DTH [...] is at least provided with the same services of zones covered by terrestrial means, as well as levels of service and conditions of access of end users comparable to those provided in such zones.»

«[...]In particular, PTC  shall subsidize clients of areas which are not covered by terrestrial digital broadcasting so that the latter do not have to bear any higher costs than users in DTT areas, including labour, terminal receivers, antennae and wiring.»

Approved on 6 January 2012.

The President of the Assembly of the Republic, Maria da Assunção A.Esteves.