TBNPortugal
Renewal of licences proposed by Anacom fixed telecommunications market in 20 years
Publication: ECO
Author: Mariana Bandeira
Source published: 23/10/2026, 11:30:56 UTC
Briefing created: 23/10/2026, 12:49:18 UTC
Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 23/10/2026, 11:41:24 UTC.
Briefings
A Lisbon Economics study commissioned by Digi concludes that Anacom's 20-year license renewal proposal for Portugal's telecom spectrum will fix the market for 20 years, preventing consumers from gaining up to 3.5 billion euros in the next 15 years. The study highlights that while the proposed renewal cost 550.3 million euros, it failed to account for consumer welfare or efficient spectrum use. The market would have been more competitive with a fourth entrant, potentially lowering mobile monthly costs by 4.8% and reducing the lowest-tier plan price to 5 euros in 2026.
Key points
- Anacom proposes a 20-year license renewal for spectrum rights held by Meo, Nos, and Vodafone, which will fix the telecom market for up to the 2040 decade.
- The Lisbon Economics study estimates that without this renewal, a fourth entrant could lower mobile monthly costs by 4.8% and reduce the lowest-tier plan price to 5 euros in 2026.
Context
The study, presented on October 8, 2026, analyzes Anacom's decision to renew spectrum rights for three operators. It notes that while the renewal cost 550.3 million euros, it did not measure consumer welfare or efficient spectrum use. The market would have been more competitive with a fourth entrant, potentially lowering mobile monthly costs by 4.8% and reducing the lowest-tier plan price to 5 euros in 2026.
Limitations
The evidence is limited to a single study commissioned by Digi and presented on October 8, 2026. It does not include data on the full 20-year impact, consumer welfare metrics beyond monthly cost comparisons, or the specific 2040 market fixation beyond the 20-year window. The study explicitly states it did not measure consumer welfare or efficient spectrum use, and the 20-year horizon is a fixed estimate rather than a forecast.
Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 23/10/2026, 12:49:18 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.
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