By determination of 29 July 2009, ANACOM approved the report of the public consultation on the digital dividend.
The following bodies assessed the document submitted to consultation, further to the approval of determination of 25 March 2009: Access Partnership (on behalf of DELL, Google and Microsoft), Alcatel-Lucent, APRITEL, Associação Portuguesa de Imprensa, Associação Portuguesa de Radiodifusão and Associação de Rádios de Inspiração Cristã, AR Telecom, Cabovisão, Grupo Media Capital, Grupo Portugal Telecom, GSM Association, Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks, Onitelecom, RTP, SIC, Sonaecom, Vodafone Portugal and ZON TV Cabo Portugal.
ANACOM’s position now conveyed to the market (which is brief and oriented towards responses to specific questions) must be deemed as a starting point and a guideline for future decisions on this matter.
General market reactions show that the digital dividend may contribute to national cohesion, correcting the “digital divide”, and to create wealth, enhancing the provision of new services and innovative solutions at better prices, with the inherent development of the information society.
All bodies that provided an opinion on this consultation acknowledged the benefits of a harmonised use of digital dividend spectrum, being generally accepted that its homogeneous use throughout national territory will promote an articulation between the different operators and services, leading to an optimal use of spectrum.
The possibility of allocating part of the digital dividend to mobile broadband applications was the topic that undoubtedly deserved more participation and interest from respondents, most of whom, although recognizing the challenges that such a measure would imply, advocated allocating the 790-862 MHz sub-band to mobile broadband applications as soon as possible. However, bodies connected to the broadcasting sector were against the allocation of the referred sub-band to mobile broadband applications.
In this respect, ANACOM stresses that since this consultation was launched until today, several European countries decided to allocate the 790-862 MHz sub-band to broadband electronic communications services, in accordance with WAPECS principles. It is likely that more European countries will take a similar decision, thus strengthening de facto harmonisation at European level as far as this sub-band is concerned. Consequently, a general tendency towards its allocation to mobile broadband applications - now also under preparation in Spain - seems to be shaping, a fact which must be carefully weighted in a final decision on the matter, namely as regards the high risks of isolation that Portugal may face in this scope.
In the field of high definition television, and notwithstanding the agreement that it should be development on the basis of digital terrestrial broadcasts, responses to the public consultation do not coincide on broadband values that should be reserved for the purpose. As regards the timetable, there was a unanimous feedback that the provision of high definition programme services should start as early as possible, namely after switch-off.
In the context of mobile television services, most respondents considered that the radio coverage required for their provision should be made available quickly, and further to a public tender, being shared by all interested parties.
Responses on television services of a regional or local scope and on digital radio broadcasting did not yield any unequivocal conclusion both as regards the additional spectrum for regional or local television and the future of technologies and spectrum to be reserved in the scope of radio broadcasting.
Consult:
- Approval of a final report on the digital dividend https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=969241
