28 DTT transmitters in Portalegre and Castelo Branco districts began changing frequency on 12.08.2020

The migration process for the digital terrestrial television service was resumed on 12 August, with the alteration of 28 transmitters in Portalegre, Castelo Branco and Santarém districts (see table).

For Portalegre District, those currently receiving signals from the transmitter in São Mamede, in Portalegre, will not be affected by this process, as there will be no frequency change in this transmitter. In fact, people will know if they have been affected by the transmitter migration process if there is no image on their televisions.

The DTT network migration process began on 7 February and was suspended on 13 March due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, 63 transmitters, out of a network consisting of 243 transmitters, changed frequency. The process of changing the remaining 180 transmitters that will still have to be altered will take place up to 18 December, the date this process is expected to be concluded.

To inform the people affected at this phase, ANACOM will release the information on the DTT changes in a letter and a leaflet that will be delivered to everybody's homes and that summarise the relevant information so that they can adapt to these changes.

When the transmitter changes frequency, the television screen will go black, but all that has to be done is to synchronise the television or DTT scrambler to be able to continue watching free television, as has been the case up to now. The process is simple. ANACOM took the care to ensure that there would be no need to replace or reposition aerials, change TVs or scramblers, and nobody will have to subscribe to paid television services. Condominiums/buildings with installations with mono-channel amplifiers may have to replace them.

To assist in this process, ANACOM has set up a free telephone helpline (800 102 002), which is in operation every day from 9 am to 10 pm, for people to phone in and clear up any doubts they may have and get help synchronising their televisions.

If they are unable to synchronise the equipment themselves or with the help provided through the helpline, 800 102 002, ANACOM will schedule a visit to their home by its technical staff in order to synchronise it, free of charge.

NOTE: ANACOM will only go to the homes of people who call 800 102 002 and who have scheduled a visit during that phone call. If you have never called this number and someone knocks on your door saying they are from ANACOM and they are going to synchronise the equipment, take care, and do not open the door, because they will not be ANACOM technicians.

With the aim of extending the range of entities that can help divulge information and provide support to people, ANACOM has established a number of partnerships. These include Municipal Councils, Parish Councils, the GNR and PSP police, the League of Portuguese Firefighters, the Social Security Institute, AMA (Citizen's Shops and Spaces), parishes and the National Scouts Corps.