| NOTAS: | Informação sobre Portugal:
1. Background
Broadband penetration in Portugal was 4.9% of the population in January 2004. Portugal is one of the very few countries in the EU where the number of cable modem subscribers is greater than the number of DSL subscribers. However, Portugal Telecom, the incumbent, is the dominant provider of both DSL and cable modem services. Portugal Telecom has 87% of the DSL market while few independent ISPs provide DSL services mainly through bitstream access.
2. The strategy
The National Broadband Initiative of Portugal is part of the Information Society Action Plan and sets out specific targets to be achieved by 2005, in particular that 50% of all households and enterprises will have broadband access to the Internet by then. To achieve the aims of the strategy there are several projects which are grouped under the themes of Infrastructure and Access; Multimedia Content; Broadband Usage; Bridging the Digital Divide and National Competitiveness. In each area there will be a stakeholder group to mobilise economic and social actors such as the telecommunications companies and content providers. The groups will be co-ordinated by the a Global Coordination structure that will align resources and establish priorities in accordance with government objectives.
(1) Increasing coverage of under-served areas
Broadband access in less favoured areas is facilitated by the establishment of Community Networks. The target is to provide broadband access in 15 underprivileged municipalities by the end of 2004. Projects foreseen within this measure include the building of new infrastructure, the sharing of infrastructure with private operators and taking advantage of existing public infrastructures.
Portugal is planning to use Structural Funds to bring broadband to under-served areas. A social cohesion approach (using a ranking model based on supply and demand-side criteria) and a market-based approach (using aggregation of public demand) will be necessary for areas to be considered eligible for public co-financing. (2) Stimulating government usage
e-Government initiatives can be found in the e-Government Action Plan.
(3) Connecting public administrations, schools and hospitals
Objectives include:
connecting all central public administration offices and hospitals to broadband;
achieving a broadband-connected PC/pupil ratio superior to the EU average; establishing at least 16 public access points with broadband per 100,000 inhabitants. In poorer municipalities access will be free.
A broadband interoperability system that will sustain more effective communication and co-operation procedures in public services
One important project relates to the creation of virtual campuses and creating remote learning programs.
(4) Connecting SMEs
The national Information Society strategy of Portugal devotes considerable attention to SMEs, encouraging the development of Internet initiatives that induce the use of broadband services, stimulating investment in modernisation of working procedures and supporting young entrepreneurs in e-business. The two main targets are supporting broadband access and use in 10,000 SMEs until 2005 and supporting the development of websites of 10,000 SMEs over the same period.
(5) Initiatives addressing the development of new content The objective is to triple software investment (currently 3% of GDP) and encourage the creation and implementation of 500 multimedia content and application projects by 2005 by expanding the role of the State as a driver of digital content, stimulating the content industry to digitalise thematic content, training professional specialised in the development of content for different formats, and offering awards for the best content disseminating best practices.
(6) Other measures:
Increase PC penetration to achieve 55% of households disposing of a PC by 2005 through the creation of PC recycling centres and financial incentives.
Ensure awareness of broadband benefits
Promotion of IT training through introduction of IT certificates |
