Ministério do Equipamento Social (Minister of Social Equipment)
Ministerial Order
(This is not an official translation of the law)
Given the proposed alteration in the start date of commercial activities of the entities licensed to operate International Mobile Telecommunications Systems (IMT2000/UMTS), presented by the Instituto das Comunicações de Portugal (ICP) on October 23, which states that "the impeding and insurmountable nature of the facts verified means that it is objectively and subjectively impossible for the operators licensed to operate UMTS systems to comply with their obligations, namely in what regards the start date for the launching of such systems", I agree that, as previously suggested, the deadline established for operators to effectively begin their licensed activity should be extended to December 31, 2002.
I also agree with ICP's proposal to set a zero-cost radio-electric spectrum utilisation duty for 2002, in order to act as an incentive for licensed operators to launch commercial operations of UMTS services during that year.
Lisbon, October 24, 2001.
Minister of Social Equipment - Eduardo Luís Barreto Ferro Rodrigues.
