A study by EY-Parthenon indicates that the telecommunications sector has failed to recover its capital investment costs since 2020. The industry association Apritel is calling for regulatory attention and advocating for 20-year renewals of spectrum licenses by Anacom to ensure sector sustainability.
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The government's 2027 State Budget proposal forecasts that total investment in Portugal will continue to grow, pushing GDP up by over 2%, despite a significant decline in public investment following the end of the PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan). Economists and the president of the Confederation of Portuguese Industry (CIP) express skepticism, warning that private investment may not compensate for the loss, potentially leading to a decline in total investment next year.
The national telecommunications regulator, Anacom, is currently considering renewing mobile frequency licenses for Meo, Nos, and Vodafone for periods between 6 and 14 years, rather than the 20 years requested by the operators. Paulo Cunha, a Portuguese MEP, has formally questioned the European Commission on whether these shorter, limited-term renewals align with EU Digital Networks Act (DNA) goals, which favor longer or indefinite license durations to incentivize investment in 5G and 6G technologies.
The industry association Apritel is challenging the claim that the current telecommunications market lacks competition, arguing that the operator Digi had the opportunity to acquire more spectrum during the auction but chose not to. Apritel warns that failing to renew existing licenses, which are set to expire in 2027, would lead to market disruption and operational chaos.