5G in mainland Portugal and also on the islands
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The call operator carried out a “giant” operation to implement 5G: operations operator, simultaneously in all the districts of mainland Portugal and in the United States. Around half of the population in the national territory has access to the company’s 5G and all territories already have access to 5G. After all, there are 6 million homes and companies that currently use fiber optics. As for 4G, the network covers almost the entire population – 9.7% according to data provided by Altice.
Having the national territory covered does not mean discovering the islands. For these, according to the company “also have a priority in the defense of equal access and proximity to the territory”. And the numbers released are interesting. Very interesting. This is because Madeira reached, at the end of 2021, 97% fiber optic coverage. Regarding the mobile network, the figures indicate a coverage rate – on the two islands, Madeira and Porto Santo – of around 99.5% in 4G. As for 5G, Altice guarantees that half of the population of Funchal already has access to the service.
The expansion of the fiber optic network and the mobile network was ensured, at the end of the year, through the signing of protocols – in the areas of innovation, five protocols, health and social responsibility – between Altice Portugal, represented by Alexandre Fonseca, president company executive, and Miguel Albuquerque, president of the Regional Government of Madeira. Among the novelties is a promise of around 40 million euros of investment and expansion of the archipelago’s communication infrastructure. A clear example is the strengthening, this year, of the mobile network – which already has a coverage rate of 99.8% – through the installation of 12 new stations located in Funchal, Santa Cruz, Ribeira Brava and Câmara de Lobos.
In relation to the Azores, Altice’s promise is that optical fiber will reach, this year, a value of over 97% of population coverage. This is because in 4G the penetration rate is over 97% with the company pre-installing 20 new stations. As for 5G in particular, Altice guarantees that Ponta Delgada has access from January 1, and that the new mobile network will be available on all islands of the archipelago by the end of this year.
For now, and still during the first quarter of the year, the company will invest in the modernization of the networks in the archipelago, “with the objective of strengthening and quality of services repaired to the Azoreans”. With this, the company believes that the fiber optic network will reach a value higher than the coverage of the population and the 4G mobile network stands at 7.33%, modifying 9 new mobile stations. As Altice says, these “allowed infrastructures for access to high-transport communications are essential for the gradual adoption of 5G and for taking advantage of new opportunities”.
Still in the Azores, but with a more innovative and research perspective, the Altice Labs hub, on Terceira Island, is part of the “Terceira Tech Island” initiative, proposed by the company Regional Government of the Azores. Not forgetting, also, the connection with Nonagon – Science and Technology Park of São Miguel – through mentoring actions of several startups, and the strategic partnership with the Azores Innovation Digital Hub, which aims to foster a digital transformation in several economic sectors in the region.