The representatives of the municipalities that make up CIM-TTM - Comunidade Intermunicipal das Terras de Trás-os-Montes (Trás-os-Montes Intermunicipal Community) met with ANACOM yesterday (9 October 2018) to express their concerns about electronic and postal communications in the region.
In the meeting held with ANACOM (attended by ANACOM's Chairman, João Cadete de Matos, Vice-Chairman, João Miguel Coelho, ANACOM's head of postal area, Agostinho Franco, and press officer, Ilda Matos), CIM-TTM and the Municipal Presidents and Vice-Presidents present at the meeting (Alfândega da Fé, Bragança, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Miranda do Douro, Vila Flor, Vimioso and Vinhais) warned of serious harm to the population and economy of the region, resulting from the closure of post offices, and consider the degradation of the quality of the postal service to be unacceptable.
They drew attention to the fact that local populations continue to endure difficulties in access to digital terrestrial television and made themselves available to collaborate with ANACOM in the diagnosis of the current situation and in the implementation of solutions.
The lack of Internet access at various locations and the lack of mobile network coverage in a number of parishes and along the IC5 road network were some of the other topics put to ANACOM. Emphasis was given to the importance of regulatory approval ensuring the use of shared underground infrastructures in the laying of telecommunication cables and to correct situations in the use of aerial cables when underground solutions are available or can be deployed. The seriousness of the situation has increased with the expansion of optical fibre networks and has, in the opinion of those responsible, a strong impact on the landscape and on urban planning. It is mainly contested that the operators favour aerial means when they could use underground infrastructure available in the respective municipalities.
The development of national roaming was considered as a very timely solution and one which merits clear support as it could alleviate many of the current problems of mobile network coverage, while it was expressed with regret that, in border areas, when coverage from national operators is not available, the only solution available entails making use of Spanish networks.
Representatives of ANACOM, CIM-TTM officials and Municipal Presidents and Vice-Presidents present at the meeting
