| NOTAS: | "Portugal was a late starter in the EU telecoms liberalisation process, becoming the second-last EU member to open up its telecoms market - a process it completed at the beginning of 2000 (two years behind most other EU member states). This was the result of derogation granted by the EU, based on the country's low teledensity and the need for progress on retail tariff rebalancing. The fixed market was fully liberalised on 1 January 2000. By the third quarter of 2008 there were 27 companies authorised to provide fixed voice services in Portugal. Of these, 17 operators were commercially active, of which five provided direct access only: the rest provided services through both types of access." |
