Metropolitan of Lisbon considers that Digi’s criticism about the lack of access to the stations “they have absolutely no factual basis and are institutionally inadequate”. In response to the Observer, the company also claims that it responded to Digi’s requests and hosted “several meetings and technical visits,” but that it informed the company that the access requests would be approved. “adhering to the infrastructure shared by other operators.” The statements respond to statements by those responsible for the new telecommunications operator, regarding the alleged “artificial barriers” upon arrival in Portugal.
On Monday, when the commercial offer was presented in Portugal, Digi officials criticized the “artificial barriers” for network coverage, in particular with regard to the authorization of entry to the Lisbon Metro, despite the fact that negotiations “have been ongoing for a year,” said Valentin Popoviciu, CEO of the Romanian group.
In an extensive response to Observador, an official Metro source states that “Digi’s criticism of the performance of the Lisbon Metropolitan has absolutely no factual basis and is institutionally inadequate, since it does not do justice to the diligence that the company and its technicians have carried out. dedicated – and We will continue to be dedicated – to the applications presented.”
Digi enters Portugal only with loyalty (of three months) on fixed internet. Prices start at 4 euros for mobile phones and 12 euros for television.
Lisbon Metro begins by explaining that “it is committed to guaranteeing the best possible quality in the essential public service that it provides to its customers, which naturally includes access, in the infrastructures under its responsibility, to the mobile voice and data services provided by the different operators.
As a public company, it continues, it “fully assumes its responsibilities and strictly complies with all legal obligations, guiding its activity, in particular, by the principles of legality, impartiality, transparency, equality, non-discrimination and pursuit of the public interest.” “.
But the “availability of electronic communications services on your network must be compatible with the physical characteristics of the infrastructurethe current and future needs of the Metropolitan, the functionality of the different equipment, as well as the operational, maintenance and security requirements inherent to the provision of transport services in a system with the specificities of the Metro network.
That’s why, “The installation of their own infrastructure by the different electronic communications operators is not considered viable,” In 2005, the operators Meo, Vodafone and NOS contracted the installation of “a shared infrastructure, with express provision for the possibility of sharing said infrastructure with new interested operators, under the same conditions.” When Digi expressed interest in having a network within the Metro, the public company says that it “immediately made the relevant information available and promoted several meetings and technical visits to clarify the issue.” but how informed “He said that achieving what was planned would imply adhering to the infrastructure shared by other operators.”
In this sense, it will be up to Digi, “within the framework of the contacts it has been establishing with its counterparts, to agree on the necessary steps to complete the exchange of the infrastructure installed in ML.” Metro states that “any disagreement must be resolved by the means at its disposal, including the intervention of the sector regulator.”
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The public company points out that “the only intervention” requested from Metro “was fulfilled in July, with the formalization of the authorization for Digi to join the shared infrastructure.” It is also said that the parallel requests made by Digi regarding the provision of services in the installation of its own infrastructure “continue to be diligently analyzed by Lisbon Metropolitan technicians of different specialties, since they are formulated/reformulated and instructed with the essential elements to the analysis.”
Digi, which entered Portugal thanks to the 5G auction, concluded in 2021, announced its arrival in Portugal on November 4, with monthly rates starting at four euros for the mobile service or 27 euros for a combined service package. The main premise is the lack of loyalty (there is only one service, fixed internet, with a maximum term of three months) and the promise of prices that will not be indexed to inflation.
In addition to the lack of access to the Lisbon Metro, the company also complained about the difficulties in negotiating with television channels, especially premium sports channels, such as Sport TV or Dazn. To begin with, Digi also does not have the channels SIC (Impresa group), CMTV and Now (Medialivre) on the grid.
Source: Observadora
