Vodafone criticized today the high prices of spectrum fees paid by mobile operators in Portugal. Carlos Correia, the operator’s representative on the panel dedicated to regulation at the APDC congress, considered it exaggerated that these rates support 95 percent of regulatory revenues. According to figures presented by the official, Portugal is 78 percent above the European average at this level.
The rates of use of the spectrum were defined in order to ensure Anacom’s own revenue, which since 2000 has had an economic surplus of 40 percent and maintains an annual revenue growth of around 14 percent. According to the official, the figures show that there is room for an adjustment in the fees charged to operators and end up being reflected in consumer costs.
Carlos Correia argues that, initially, the adjustment to rates should take this situation into account and also believes that a realignment to his calculation method is necessary. It should be remembered that Vodafone is one year away from seeing its mobile operating license expire and that the regulator has a public consultation underway that seeks to raise contributions to reformulate the conditions of that license.
On the same panel João Carriço of Ar Telecom considered it essential that the regulator has a more proactive action in terms of content and stressed that Ar Telecom took a year to be able to negotiate the television channels that currently support its offer tripleplay on the television component. The official also stresses the need to enforce the conditions of access to the conduits, as an essential factor for the development of alternative offers in the market.
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