Telecommunications in Portugal

Portugal has a modern and flexible telecommunications market and a wide range of varied media organisations. The regulatory body overseeing communications is called ANACOM.

The country has one of the highest mobile phone penetration rates in the world (the number of operative mobile phones already exceeds the population). This network also provides wireless mobile Internet connections as well, and covers the entire territory. As of October 2006, 36.8% of households had high-speed Internet services and 78% of companies had Internet access. Most Portuguese watch television through cable (June 2004: 73.6% of households). Paid Internet connections are available at many cafés, as well as many post offices. One can also surf on the Internet at hotels, conference centres and shopping centres, where special areas are reserved for this purpose. Free internet access is also available to Portuguese residents at "Espaços de Internet" across the country.

Telephones - main lines in use: 4.139 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 13,413,000 (2007) Cell Networks(2G/3G/3.5G): TMN - (2G+3+3.5G licence) ; UZO (Virtual Carrier, owned by TMN) Vodafone (2G+3G licence) ; Yorn (Virtual Carrier, runs under Vodafone prefix) Optimus (2G+3G licence) ; Rede4 (Virtual carrier, owned by Optimus) ; ZON Mobile (Virtual carrier owned by ZON and operated by the Vodafone network) ; Phone-ix (Virtual carrier owned by CTT and operated by the TMN network) and Continente Mobile (operated by Optimus and hypermarket chain, Continente).

Telephone system:
general assessment: Portugal's telephone system has achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities and a main line telephone density of 53%
domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations
international: 6 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth station for Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region) is planned

Radio

Radio broadcast stations: AM 47, FM 172 (many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: 3.02 million (1997)

Television

Television broadcast stations: 36 (plus 62 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 3.31 million (1997)^[1]

Free-to-air Television Networks:

Rádio e Televisão de Portugal:

• RTP1
• RTP2

Free-to-air national coverage stations:

• SIC
• TVI

Regional Stations:

• Porto Canal
• RTP Açores
• RTP Madeira

International:

• RTPi (sat/cable)
• RTP África (sat/cable/on-air)
• SIC Internacional (sat/cable)

Analog TV system:

• PAL (625 line, 50 Hz.)

Digital TV system:

• DVB-T (MPEG4 for SD and HD broadcasts.)

NOTE: Most TV Networks/stations have specific interactive TV(cable) oriented services.

Internet

Internet Users: 3.549 millions (2007)

Internet Hosts: 1.858 million (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 20 (1999)^[2]

See also: Broadband Internet access worldwide#Portugal

Country code (Top level domain): PT

References

1. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/po.html#Comm
2. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/po.html#Comm

See also

• Portugal