1. What is the universal electronic communications service?

Under the current Electronic Communications Lawhttps://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=324015, universal service means the minimum set of services that must be available to all consumers within the national territory, at an affordable price, in the light of specific national conditions, where a risk of social exclusion arising from the lack of such access prevents citizens from full social and economic participation in society.

The universal service must ensure the availability of:

• an adequate broadband internet access service at a fixed location (fixed internet access service);
• voice communication services, including the underlying connection, at a fixed location(fixed telephone service);
• specific measures for consumers with disabilities, to ensure equivalent access to services which, within the scope of universal service, are available to other users.

These services will only have to be made available upon a Government determination that they cannot be provided under normal commercial conditions or through other public policy instruments.

In this context, it is ANACOM’s responsibility to monitor the evolution of retail prices of the services described, and if it concludes that consumers on low incomes or with special social needs are unable to access them due to the market price charged, ANACOM will submit a proposal to the Government to adopt the necessary measures to ensure that such consumers can afford the service of adequate broadband internet access and voice communications services at least at a fixed location.

Since 2022, operators providing broadband internet access services are required, within the framework of universal service, to make the social tariff for broadband internet access available to consumers.

Check the FAQ on the social tariff for Internet accesshttps://www.anacom-consumidor.pt/faq-tarifa-social-de-internet-tsi for more information.

• What is the universal electronic communications service? https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1245152

1. What is the universal electronic communications service?

Under the current Electronic Communications Lawhttps://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=324015, universal service means the minimum set of services that must be available to all consumers within the national territory, at an affordable price, in the light of specific national conditions, where a risk of social exclusion arising from the lack of such access prevents citizens from full social and economic participation in society.

The universal service must ensure the availability of:

• an adequate broadband internet access service at a fixed location (fixed internet access service);
• voice communication services, including the underlying connection, at a fixed location(fixed telephone service);
• specific measures for consumers with disabilities, to ensure equivalent access to services which, within the scope of universal service, are available to other users.

These services will only have to be made available upon a Government determination that they cannot be provided under normal commercial conditions or through other public policy instruments.

In this context, it is ANACOM’s responsibility to monitor the evolution of retail prices of the services described, and if it concludes that consumers on low incomes or with special social needs are unable to access them due to the market price charged, ANACOM will submit a proposal to the Government to adopt the necessary measures to ensure that such consumers can afford the service of adequate broadband internet access and voice communications services at least at a fixed location.

Since 2022, operators providing broadband internet access services are required, within the framework of universal service, to make the social tariff for broadband internet access available to consumers.

Check the FAQ on the social tariff for Internet accesshttps://www.anacom-consumidor.pt/faq-tarifa-social-de-internet-tsi for more information.