By determination of 28 September 2006, ANACOM has given approval to the draft decision on the proposal by PT Comunicações to alter the residential tariff for fixed-line telephone service (FTS) provided within the scope of the Universal Service. Under the terms of this draft decision, ANACOM does not oppose the proposal to alter the tariff that the company presented on 28 August 2006, as long as a number of conditions are complied with in their entirety and cumulatively.
Accordingly these new tariffs will come into force only after ANACOM has approved, by determination, that the companies of Grupo PT have complied with the conditions applicable to the offer of packages that charge a single price for the network line and traffic (as set out by the determination of 14 December 2005). Furthermore, the Universal Service includes two alternative tariffs: PTC’s proposal of 28 August 2006 and the tariffs currently in force (with different and independent pricing for access and for traffic at various time periods).
In this way, PTC is bound to guarantee that all residential customers have the right to choose between the two alternative FTS tariffs; by default users are billed according to the tariffs proposed by PTC on 28 August, but may choose, without any cost, between the tariff that is at that time applicable and the other with analogue structure, which may replace it. This right to choose must be realised by PTC through the inclusion in the bill of every residential customer of a letter which sets out to a suitable standard the facts and details in respect to each of the available options. This must be communicated to ANACOM, allowing for a minimum period of ten working days for ANACOM to reach a conclusion.
A further condition determines that any residential FTS tariffs falling within the bounds of the Universal Service, as well as complying with the "price cap" and applicable obligations, shall also be balanced and coherent with the other FTS tariffs within the scope of the Universal Service. Finally, PTC must adjust its interconnection charges in the "nights" period, in order to ensure that the tariff now proposed can be practised by alternative operators.
This determination is subject to a prior hearing of interested parties, as well as to the general consultation procedure, with there being in all cases a 20 working day timeframe.
Accordingly the deadline for the receipt of comments expires on 2 November 2006. Comments should be sent if possible by email to tarifario_su@anacom.pt. Once the consultation process has concluded, comments received will be published on this site; therefore parties sending comments should be sure to clearly mark anything that should remain confidential.
Consult:
- Residential Tariff for Universal Service fixed-line telephone services https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1083137
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- Price Tables (PT Comunicações) https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=8777
