Anacom forces Meo down the rental price of links to the islands – publico

 
         

                 

                         
                     

                 

 
 

Anacom, which regulates the communications sector, it has determined that the Meo have to reduce by about 73% the cost of renting to other circuits companies in submarine communications infrastructure linking mainland Portugal to the Azores and Madeira, as well as the islands of these archipelagoes. This infrastructure, which is owned by Meo (the French group Altice), is rented by telecommunications companies competing to sell services such as Internet access and television.

The decision, announced Monday and must be implemented within 30 days, come join another, taken in July 2015 a matter of urgency, and that he had already given a decline in the rental price around 50% . In all, the two decisions of Anacom end up imposing a reduction of 86% in the space of just over a year.

Anacom notes that “with the growth of broadband offerings, increasing speed Internet and deals on package has been an increased demand for capacity in these submarine cables by the Meo of competing operators that provide services in the autonomous regions “.

the aim of the price cut is promote competition in the provision of communications services to consumers in the Azores and Madeira. “With these measures, Anacom intends to improve the conditions of competition in the market with benefit to operators who need to rent this infrastructure to develop their business and for consumers in general who may be able to enjoy greater diversity offer, “explains a note from the regulator. “The competition problems identified by analysis conducted by Anacom result, in particular, the practice of rental prices excessively higher circuits of the costs.” The Meo declined to comment.

European rules require that such markets are assessed periodically, but the document with the details Anacom decision that “on several occasions”, there were competitors who requested the intervention of the regulator. The complainants were In, Oni, Vodafone and Belgian BICS.

The process dates back to 2014, when Anacom arrived to put into public consultation a market analysis of the review including submarine cables. However, the regulator said in response to questions PUBLIC, that review had to be postponed “in the face of market developments that occurred and a recommendation of the European Commission.” However, “the situation was witnessed not allowed to stay waiting for the completion of the analysis to adopt measures”, which eventually led to the first court to impose price, made in July last year.