The landscape of internet services in Portugal has been significantly transformed with the advent of fiber optic technology, promising high-speed, reliable internet connectivity. However, beneath the glossy advertisements and promotional campaigns lies a complex web of service offers, infrastructure sharing, and persistent issues that affect user experiences.
Major Players and Infrastructure
Unveiling Portugal’s Fiber Optic Market: A Deep Dive into Service Offers, Infrastructure
https://youtu.be/xvIKkdl0LE0
fiber optic market is dominated by three main players: MEO (Altice Portugal), NOS, and Vodafone Portugal. These providers have been aggressively expanding their fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks across the country. In 2017, Vodafone Portugal announced a partnership with NOS to build and share fiber networks, aiming to cover about 2.6 million premises and boost Vodafone’s network coverage from 2.7 million to around 4 million homes.
Fiber Optic Coverage and Availability
According to recent data, optical fiber already covers 90% of all Portuguese households and 70% of rural households, placing Portugal well above the EU average. This extensive coverage has positioned Portugal as a leader in fiber optic infrastructure within Europe.
Service Offerings and Challenges
While providers tout high-speed connections up to 10 Gbps in urban areas, the reality can be quite different, especially in rural and remote regions. In major cities like Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, fiber-optic networks are widely available. However, rural areas often rely on slower ADSL connections with speeds ranging from 10 to 24 Mbps.
User Complaints and Service Issues
Despite the promises of high-speed connectivity, many users have reported significant issues with their fiber optic services:
1. Service Interruptions: In December 2023, users of MEO, NOS, and Vodafone reported widespread service failures, including problems with making calls and accessing the internet via fixed and mobile networks.
2. Difficulty Cancelling Contracts: Multiple users have reported challenges when attempting to cancel their contracts, with providers continuing to charge them even after cancellation requests.
3. Customer Service Problems: There are numerous complaints about the quality of customer service, with users struggling to reach human representatives and being redirected to AI assistants.
4. Weather-Related Issues: Portugal’s varied climate poses challenges to fiber optic infrastructure, with storms and heavy rainfall potentially causing physical damage to cables.
Regulatory Landscape and Recent Developments
The National Communications Authority (Anacom) has been taking steps to improve competition and service quality:
1. In December 2023, Anacom announced that Altice/MEO must make wholesale offers for access to their fiber optic network available within six months in 402 parishes where there is no competition.
2. The regulator has also mandated fair and reasonable pricing for these wholesale offers to allow other operators to provide competitive retail services.
