The public tender for the grant of a license for the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) network operator, is to be launched on April 7 2001. Tender specifications will be available to interested parties from the public attendance service in the Instituto das Comunicações de Portugal (ICP)'s head office, Avenida José Malhoa, no. 12, Lisbon, from Monday, April 9 onwards. The deadline for the submission of bids is June 15, 2001 at 16.00.
Applications shall be submitted to ICP's head office in electronic format, namely CD-ROM, by June 15, 2001. Bid applications shall include, amongst other documents, the technical plan and economic and financial plan.
The bids shall be opened in the Public Act of Tender to take place on June 18, after which they shall be appraised by the Tender Committee to be nominated by the Government. The Committee shall draw up a list classifying the bidders, by August 6, although this deadline may be extended.
Digital Terrestrial Television represents a new distribution network for television signals, using the pan-European norm DVB - Digital Video Broadcasting, in its terrestrial version (DVB-T). This means that the television signal is distributed by hertzian transmission, as in the existing analogue network, via aerials.
This new network will substitute the existing analogue network. The reception of digital television signals will therefore imply the reconversion of television receivers. Consumers will not be obliged however to immediately adapt or replace their television sets, given that a transition period is planned, that should terminate in 2007, during which broadcasting from the current analogue network will be maintained.
Citizens will be guaranteed free and open access to the existing national channels in Mainland Portugal and the national and regional channels in the Azores and Madeira. In addition to these channels, Digital Terrestrial Television will also enable new channels to be received, with high sound and image quality, plus other television and telecommunications services. DVB-T technology also makes it possible to rationalise the use of the radio spectrum and achieve national coverage, thus giving all citizens access to the specific functions of interactive television.
This platform shall constitute an alternative to the existing distribution networks, as a result of which bidders may not have direct or indirect shareholdings in the share capital of entities that have a 50% or higher market share in the cable television business. The license shall be granted for a period of 15 years, and is renewable.
The licensed operator must guarantee 30% coverage of national territory by the end of the first year after the license is granted, or after the date on which the operator starts trading, if trading commences after grant of the license. At the end of the second year, 60% coverage must be guaranteed and by the end of fifth year 95% coverage must be guaranteed. In the case of the Autonomous Regions, the timetable is more exacting. 60% coverage must be achieved by the end of the first year, 75% by the end of the second year, 85% by the end of the third year and 95% by the end of the fifth year, to include all the inhabited islands.
The object of this public tender is the grant of a license to the network operator, and a second public tender is planned this year for the licensing of new television channels.
Consult:
- Digital television https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=2963