27 Schist Villages connected by fiber optics from Altice Portugal
Altice Portugal and ADXTUR – Agency for Tourism Development of Aldeias do Xisto signed, last November 18th, a protocol that foresees the expansion of optical fiber coverage and mobile network in Aldeias do Xisto, which will connect to 27 villages of the 16 municipalities, in an unprecedented investment of several million euros.
The project, which covers 14 villages by the end of this year, will be completed in 2023 and also includes the installation of 11 mobile stations, ensuring coverage of 4G and 5G networks.
Thus, the 27 villages that make up the network of Schist Villages – Benfeita, Vila Cova de Alva, Martim Branco, Sarzedas, Sobral de S. Miguel, Casal de São Simão, Barroca, Janeiro de Cima, Aigra Nova, Aigra Velha, Comareira , Pena, Candal, Casal Novo, Cerdeira, Pigsty, Talasnal, Gondramaz, Álvaro, Aldeia das Dez, Fajão, Janeiro de Baixo, Ferraria de São João, Pedrogão Pequeno, Figueira, Água Formosa, Monastery – will be able to count on a roof of optical fiber identical to the metropolitan areas of Lisbon or Porto.
With a view to strengthening proximity, Altice Portugal considers this to be “a true project of public interest”, which will enhance “the creation of value in other territories and in the region as a whole”, as well as consolidating its strategy and action in its relationship with these regions, promoting “sustained economic development and increasing reference”.
In a statement, the telecommunications company emphasizes that, with this investment, it will combat desertification and territorial inequalities, as “as 27 villages are distributed they gain new horizons and new possibilities” and “the information highways, so far scarce, gain new ways and new ages».
In this way, he reiterates, “citizens, young people, adults and the elderly, start to benefit from technology and infrastructure that facilitate the diversity of communications” and business and commercial relationships, whether from small, medium and large companies, “come to hold other contours with the opening of global access ».
“From this moment on, these villages will experience and experience state-of-the-art connectivity in the first person. First to each other, between neighboring territories, then to the world”, reads the same note.
Altice Portugal’s infrastructure project was presented in the city of Fundão and was attended by Alexandre Fonseca, Executive President of Altice Portugal and Paulo Fernandes, President of ADXTUR.
«Today, technology is a basic infrastructure for us to communicate and create even more value from this territory, which are like Schist Villages», considered the president of ADXTUR.
“The Schist Villages project started with a little more than half a dozen partners”, recalled Paulo Fernandes, created that “a lot has been studied to stimulate the self-esteem of communities and the spirit of networking”. A work that materialized «in the affirmation of one of the most unlikely brands, but also more specialized in the symbiotic relationship between nature and communities. More communication links are created, but we need the connectivity layer so that everyone who wants to be, live and work in the Schist Villages can do more and more”, he stressed.
The ADXTUR leader also acknowledged the challenge that follows, bearing in mind that “it is one of the most inland and complex territories from an orographic point of view”. However, there is no doubt that it will be fulfilled.
He also stressed that a partnership established with Altice Portugal is not limited to the issue of infrastructure and that the Schist Villages are a “living laboratory” and bring together “an endogenous set of assets, resources and potential to go further”.
For this reason, the protocol foresees that an ADXTUR and Altice Portugal collaborate to find “new ways of prototyping services, creating more value around these resources” and changing “the perception of value of an area of the country that still has a lot to offer » , he referred.
On the other hand, Alexandre Fonseca, executive president of Altice Portugal, considers that «this investment will be one of the fundamental levers for the excellence in tourism in these villages and in this region».
“None of us have any doubts: the future is digital”, said the official, contributing that the investment in technology is decisive for “investment capture. And when we capture investment, we create jobs and when we create jobs we are establishing population and developing as regional economies”.