4. Amendment of the annual questionnaire on coverage, quality of service, and site-sharing

As previously mentioned, the determination of 18 February 2016 imposed additional coverage obligations in the 2100 MHz band on NOS, MEO and VODAFONE. Each company was required to ensure the coverage of 196 parishes potentially lacking BBM. Additionally, the companies must ensure minimum coverage levels to users that is not lower than those existing on the date of the renewal of the RUF assigned in the 2100 MHZ band, i.e., on 4 June 2018, 21 April 2018, and 5 May 2018.

Therefore, the annual questionnaire approved by decision of 13 November 2014 is reviewed, as arises from paragraph 2.2 and the terms set out in Annex 2 of this decision, and explained next.

In Part A of the questionnaire, besides changes in the information to be reported by operators to ANACOM to check the compliance with the coverage obligations, some modifications have been made to the information that the current questionnaire specifically requires, so as to enable this Authority to monitor the progress of the coverages checked. Given the evolution of the market, ANACOM understands that the reference transmission rates of the current questionnaire should also be modified regarding this last piece of information.

Essentially, these are the changes introduced into the questionnaire:

• The information sent to ANACOM should be reported by the end of the 30th consecutive day of the month after the end of each calendar year, instead of the 20th day which corresponds to the deadline set for the report, still in effect.
• In the context of the information report on coverage, recorded at national level and by NUTS II, regarding data services, the 144 kbps and 384 kbps transmission rates currently specified in the questionnaire in effect are replaced by 30 Mbps and by “maximum speed provided” in each of the geographical areas in question.
  
  ANACOM considers it essential to monitor the implementation of these coverages, since these elements make it possible to monitor the progress in the availability of services and their transmission rates, as well as to assess compliance with the objective set in the Digital Agenda for Europe, to be reached in 2020, and also having in mind the latest objective set by the European Commission for 2025.
• Inclusion of a table for reporting information on coverage of the data services in the 196 parishes potentially lacking MBB that must be covered by each operator, with distribution carried out according to the terms and conditions set out in ANACOM’s determination of 18 February 2016 and approved by determination of 2 March 2017¹.
• In the context of reporting information on the coverage of major roads regarding the data service, the 144 kbps and 384 kbps transmission rates currently specified in the questionnaire in force are replaced by 30 Mbps and by the “maximum speed provided” for each major road, bearing in mind the verification of the objective defined the Digital Agenda for Europe, to be reached in 2020, and also having in mind the most recent objective defined by the European Commission for 2025.
• Inclusion of a table for reporting information on coverage relating to data services nationwide and by municipality for the provision of terrestrial electronic communications services – in order to check the fulfilment of the obligation each year, as established in ANACOM’s determination of 18 February 2016, to maintain the minimum coverage levels as on the date of the renewal of the RUF assigned to NOS, MEO and VODAFONE in the 1920-1980 MHz / 2110-2170 MHz sub-band.
• Amendment of Part B of the questionnaire, aiming in particular at and in addition to the elements already requested, to obtain information on the location of the base stations that provide the data services, including the type of antennas used and the respective radiation diagrams, as well as the associated technology and the respective bandwidth.