UNIVERSAL SERVICE OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
CLARIFICATION
The universal electronic communications service consists of a minimum set of services of specified quality which is available to all users regardless of their geographical location and at an affordable price1.
As a result of the contracts concluded by the Portuguese State in February 2014 to govern the various provisions of the universal service, from 1 June 2014, the telephone service at a fixed location, where it comprises the universal service, will be provided by NOS Comunicações, S.A. (NOS). PT Comunicações, S.A. (PTC) remains the universal service provider of the telephone directory and 118 service and of the public pay-telephone service.
Under the universal service, pensioners and retirees will continue to receive a 50% discount on the fixed telephone service monthly charge where they are subscribers to a single network line, and provided that their household's total monthly income does not exceed the minimum wage. This discount will now be provided by NOS.
1 As defined in Lei das Comunicações Eletrónicas (Electronic Communications Law - Law no. 5/2004 of 10 February, as republished by Law no. 51/2011 of 13 September).
Further information:
- Portal do Consumidor https://www.anacom-consumidor.pt/
- NOS Comunicações, S.A. http://www.nos.pt/particulares/Pages/home.aspx
- MEO https://www.meo.pt/
