The deputies of the Economy, Innovation, Public Works and Housing Commission approved the hearing of the Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (Anacom) and Autoridade da Concorrência (AdC) on the regulation of the 5G auction.
As confirmed to Lusa by the Vice-President of the Commission, Pedro Coimbra, a request submitted by the CDS-PP for the hearing of Anacom and AdC “on the regulation of the 5G auction” was considered and voted in favor. The date has not yet been set.
The deadline for submitting bids for the 5G auction ended on 27 November, in a process of great contention from historic telecommunications operators, which have filed several lawsuits and complaints to Brussels against the rules.
Anacom stated that the rules of the fifth generation auction (5G), "in addition to being adequate" and "proportional", also aim to "overcome or mitigate some of the disadvantages" to which new entrants are subject.
But operators Altice Portugal, NOS and Vodafone Portugal disagree, considering that the rules are discriminatory and have advanced with several lawsuits, precautionary measures and complaints to Brussels.
And with the controversy surrounding a technology that promises to revolutionize everyone's life - from citizens to companies -, divestment announcements also came.
In an interview with Lusa, the executive president of NOS, Miguel Almeida, stated that "it is evident" that he will participate in the 5G auction, but also guaranteed that he will "reduce investment" and the cost structure.
The executive chairman of the Vodafone group also said that if governments want a “healthy investor community”, then there must be “balance” and admitted that they would review investments in the Portuguese market, within the scope of the 5G auction.
Altice Portugal had the same position, which announced the suspension of ongoing investments, an idea reinforced by the shareholders of the Altice group Patrick Drahi (president) and Armando Pereira, who in a letter to the prime minister, António Costa, criticized the 5G auction rules , informing that, in view of the current regulatory landscape, they are forced to suspend projects.
In between, the Portuguese Association for the Development of Communications (APDC) expressed “enormous concern” with the controversy surrounding 5G, stating that it seems “imperative to change the rules” of the auction “in order to make them more balanced and equitable” for the interested.
The same concern was expressed by COTEC Portugal - Business Association for Innovation and the pole of information, communication and electronics technologies TICE.PT in defending that the conflict and litigation around the 5G auction should “deserve particular attention from the parliament, from who is expected to act firmly ”.
Nowo, owned by the Spanish group Másmóvil, is another bidder for the auction to award fifth generation licenses.
