The band will be freed up in 2020, and allocated to 5G.
Background: Countries across the EU have to allocate the 700MHz band (“second digital dividend”) to mobile services by 30 June 2020, to comply with a decision of the EU Parliament and Council. So far, progress on the allocation of the band has been relatively slow, with only a handful of countries proceeding to award that spectrum to mobile operators.
The Portuguese plan: This week, the regulator ANACOM approved the draft plan to free up the band from Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) across the country, in several stages between January and June 2020. The proposal defines the technical changes that MEO will have to make to the DTT network, the methodology to be used, and its implementation. In the second half of November 2019, a pilot test is planned to assess the methodology and planned actions to support users in the migration. The process is expected to last six months, starting from the south of the country, based on a roadmap that was approved in June 2018.
Next steps: ANACOM will finalise its decision later in the year, after it has gathered the responses to the consultation that runs until 19 September 2019. It is likely that the decision will largely resemble the initial draft, in line with the previously approved roadmap and with the need to free up the 700MHz band by June 2020.
