DTT multiplex licence awarded
Portugal telecom has officially received its licence to operate one free to air
multiplex and is expected to launch a service in 2009.
The multiplex will provide five television programme services and include the
existing analogue terrestrial platform programmes (RTP 1, RTP 2, SIC, TVI) and
one new television service.
An article on Advanced Television.com says that it is also expected that one of
the services will be offered in HD but no details have been given as to how
this is to be achieved within the single multiplex.
Portugal Telecom has also been allocated the license to operate five commercial
multiplexes. Its commercial offer has not yet been announced.
Source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 16th December 2008
Some DVB-T coders offered not suitable
According to some press reports Anacom has warned that a many of the DVB-T
coders now on sale will not be suitable to receive the countries future
services.
Set Top Boxes (STB) or TV receivers must be capable of decoding MPEG-4, H.264
AVC coded transmissions and also be suitable to display HD signals in at least
720p format.
These are the likely formats to be broadcast on the countries Multiplex A and
in fact detailed in the information published by Anacom in February 2008.
The information can be accessed by clicking on the following link
Technical
requirements for multiplex
An article on Rapid TV News says that Anacom has stated that it is compulsory
for receiving equipments to at least include provision to decode a minimum
vertical resolution of 720p and that these TV’s should have the standardized
”HD ready” logo.
In the case of STB’s Anacom advises that an HDMI connection should also be
available and that it should be version 1.3 and that the box should of course
decode the transmitted HDTV format.
Main source: Rapid
TV News
Item added: 9th December 2008
Programme slots offered for tender
The Portuguese government is inviting candidates to tender for slots on the
country’s free-to-air DTT platform.
Applications must be submitted to the Media Regulator by the 21st January
2009. Licences will be assigned in April 2009 and will be valid for a 15-year
period on condition that services begin by April 2010.
Licences can be renewed.
Candidates will be judged on quality of the programming, diversity of the
programme offer and the amount of European and Portuguese content.
Companies expressing an interest in the tender include Zon Multimedia, Cofina
and Controlinveste
Source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 11th November 2008
Portugal Telecom confirmed as DTT licence winner
Despite an appeal by the Swedish owned bidder Airplus TV over the decision to
award of the DTT platform licence to Portugal Telecom, the original decision
has now been re-affirmed.
An Airplus TV executive said that they are still willing to continue with the
judicial process for what it calls a ‘fair evaluation of the pay DTT licences’.
Main source: Rapid TV News
Item added: 30th September 2008
Airplus challenges Pay-DTT award decision
As predicted previously Airplus TV have confirmed that they are to appeal over
the preliminary decision by Anacom to award the Pay-DTT licence to Portugal
Telecom.
According to an item on the advanced-television.com website Airplus TV claims
that the commission did not have the necessary expertise to evaluate the
candidates.
Source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 21st July 2008
Portugal Telecom to manage FTA platform
Portugal Telecom has been given the go ahead to launch a free-to-air TV service on the countries multiplex A.
PT now has 10 working days to accept or reject the decision.
Only last week the commission also announced their preference for Portugal Telecom to have the pay-TV licences for multiplexes B-F, rather than Sweden’s Airplus TV.
Airplus are expected to challenge the decision.
The pay-TV multiplexes will carry up to 52 channels, with different packages, starting with an 18-channel basic. Portugal Telecom plans to launch its DTT offer in 2009.
Source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 8th July 2008
Portugal Telecom ranked first on its DTT tender
Portugal Telecom has been told that it has won the tender to operate the country’s DTT service, according to a report from web-based Broadband TV News.
PT had bid for the right to run the public multiplex, which will carry four free-to-air channels and a subscription TV service.
Swedish rival Airplus had only been interested in the subscription service leaving PT as the sole bidder for the public multiplex.
The preliminary decision is due to be confirmed in the next few weeks following a hearing involving interested parties.
The first transmissions are expected to take place next year and will reach 87% of the population by 2012. The licence itself will be valid for 15 years
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 1st July 2008
DTT plans announced by AirPlus TV
AirPlus TV one of the two bidders for DTT licences in Portugal has described its intentions in more detail.
The group is planning to reach a target of 450,000 Pay-TV subscribers before the 2012 analogue switch-off deadline.
Two packages will be offered, Basic and Premium. The Basic package will comprise of 10-12 national and foreign TV channels and will cost €11.50/month.
The Premium package will offer 4-6 TV channels, two of which will be HD, at €12/month.
Airplus TV expects to reach an agreement with the Portugal Telecom, the only other bidder, by July with regard to accessing the TV signal distribution network.
Telecom regulator Anacom will announce the winning bidder in July.
Source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 2nd June 2008
Portugal Telecom releases plans for DTT
Portugal Telecom has revealed its plans for DTT, which will be actioned if its recent bid is successful.
PT’s proposal is for a service called Meo TD, based on Meo via IPTV and Meo Sat to start this year.
PT would aim for analogue switch off at the end of 2010 and also plans to cover 100% of Portugal with a Free-to-view signal, 87% by DTT and the remaining 13% by satellite.
Its Pay-TV service should be available in 87% of the country.
Source: Rapid TV News
Item added: 29th April 2008
Two bids for DTT services
The communications regulator Anacom reports on its website that two bids were received for DTT licences before the deadline.
The first bidder was Portugal Telecom (PTC), which bid to operate the Free-To-Air DTT multiplex, as well as separate commercial DTT services on, multiplexes B-F.
The second proposal was from Swedish company AirPlus TV which also bid to operate the commercial services. For the AirPlus bid to be considered extra pledges have been requested by the 30th April.
AirPlus TV is a pay-DTT service provider. It launched Plus TV in Finland in March 2006 and owns Dahlia Television in Spain.
Source: Anacom website
Item added: 28th April 2008
Portugal to launch tender for 5th TV channel
Minister for Parliamentary Issues, Augusto Santos Silva, has announced that the bids for the two DTT tenders can be submitted up until April 23 according to advanced-television.com. The bids will be published a day later, with the DTT licences being issued by October.
The tender for Portugal’s fifth national Free-To-Air TV channel will be launched in October or 180 days after the submission of the bids on the Digital Terrestrial Television tender according to the published rules.
The new national FTA channel will be available on DTT and cable.
Santos Silva is reported as saying that the operator of the new channel will be selected "by the end of winter or the beginning of spring 2009". The remaining frequency spectrum will be used for the launch of an HDTV channel, airing a selection of programs for existing national TV channels RTP 1 and 2, SIC, TVI and the fifth channel.
Source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 1st April 2008
DTT Platform re-launch in Portugal
The DTT process has been re-launched in Portugal according to the latest Web Letter from Digitag, which gives a comprehensive update on the current situation in Portugal.
It goes on to say that the communications regulator ANACOM and the Government have respectively invited candidates to tender for a FTA and a Pay TV DTT operation license by 23 April. The process is expected to be concluded during the summer, which will allow for the launch of DTT services by the beginning of 2009. Viewers will be able to access new services, including more standard-definition services, HDTV and interactive services.
MUX A: The first tender will grant the right to operate one DTT multiplex, MUX A, which will provide viewers access to free-to-air television services. This multiplex will broadcast the four television programme services currently on the analogue terrestrial platform, the regional services for the Azores and Madeira, and a fifth television programme service, in SDTV, and with a national scope, yet to be licensed. Any additional capacity that is available might be used to transmit the SDTV services in HDTV format.
The operation should provide national DTT coverage of both the mainland and the autonomous regions. Population coverage of, at least, 99% is expected to be reached within three years, although it will be possible for the service provider to use other television delivery platforms, such as satellite, to ensure that the full coverage requirement is met. However, a minimum DTT coverage of 85% of the population is expected.
MUX B-F: The second tender, launched by the Government, but with the involvement of ANACOM and the media regulator ERC, will grant the right to operate five DTT multiplexes and provide pay-DTT services. Two of these multiplexes, MUX B and MUX C, will have a national coverage of at least 75% of the population, while the three remaining multiplexes, MUX D, MUX E and MUX F, will provide partial coverage of the population of the mainland.
The full article can be accessed by clicking on the following link : Digitag Web Letter
Item added: 24th March 2008
Portuguese DTT tender regulations published
The government has now published the regulations applicable to the public tender for DTT licences within Portugal according to Rapid TV News.
Applicants now have forty days to present their proposals for the first call for tenders.
Licences for five multiplexes will be on offer in the first call for tenders, two national and three regional. Both Freeview and Pay-TV licences will be issued.
The second call for tenders is expected to be in August.
In a separate news item from advanced-television.com Zon Multimedia, which had previously been excluded from tendering, can now participate in the process providing that it is does so as a minority stakeholder in a consortium.
Main source: Rapid TV News
Item added: 4th March 2008
Deadline for DTT applications set
April 23rd has been set as the date by which applications to participate in the country’s DTT system must be made, after which the two regulators in Portugal, ICP and Anacom will have 40 days to announce the result for free-to air applications and 60 days for pay TV proposals.
Broadband TV News reports that Portugal Telecom SGPS, Sonaecom SGPS, Promotora de Informaciones SA’s Media Capital SGPS unit and Vodafone Portugal are all understood to have asked for information on the tender.
Portugal Telecom’s Zon division is likely to be excluded from operating a multiplex due to regulatory concerns.
The government’s aim is to have digital switchover completed by 2012.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 26th February 2008
Tender for DTT licences expected in February
Rapid TV News reports that Portugal is expected to reveal its DTT auction plans in February according to Mário Lino, minister of Public Works and Telecommunications.
It is expected that two types of licence will be offered, one for Free-to-air TV channels and the other for Pay TV channels.
Portugal’s public broadcaster RTP has already been given rights to launch a pair of thematic channels by 2011. Analogue switch off is set to be completed by 2012.
Source: Rapid TV News
Item added: 5th February 2008
Fifth free-to-air TV licence now official
Portugal will issue a new free-to-air television licence for the creation of a national channel to compete with the country’s four existing channels, Reuters reports, Minister of Parliament Affairs Augusto Santos Silva as saying.
The tender will take place in 180 days after a separate tender to operate the country’s digital television network has been issued. No issue date was given for the first tender but it is expected during 2008.The minister went on to say that Portugal hopes to switch entirely from analogue to digital transmission by 2012.
Source: Reuters
Item added: 7th January 2008
New channel on the DTT platform
TV Cabo and financial group Controlinveste are reported by Rapid TV News to wish to partner with each other in the creation of a fifth national free-to-air channel on the future DTV platform.
Government plans for the new platform are still being formulated and a decision on what channels will be made available has not yet been released.
Rapid TV also reports that entrepreneur Francisco Pinto Balsemâo, a former Portuguese prime minister, has said that he wants an association to be established among the Portuguese broadcasters SIC, RTP and TVI to work on the creation of a future HDTV channel.
Portugal Telecom Multimedia, the multimedia division of Portugal Telecom (PT) is also said to want to do business in this project.
Source: Rapid TV News
Item added: 17th December 2007
Competition grows ahead of DTT tender
Advanced-television.com reports that Portugal Telecom is considering launching a satellite TV service in March 2008 ahead of the launch of the proposed DTT tender.
The DTH offer would compete with TV Cabo, which has more than 80% of the Portuguese Pay-TV market. The TV offer is reported as being one of the options discussed by the PT management, which recently separated from TV Cabo, together with the launch of DTT services. Any decisions will be heavily influenced by the result of the DTT tender in the first quarter of 2008. The new DTH service would complement Meo, PT’s triple play offering (TV, Internet and fixed telephony) whose user expansion is already being limited by the limited availability of a minimum 8 Mbps line speed throughout Portugal.
Source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 20th November 2007
DVB-SH demonstration in Lisbon
Alcatel-Lucent and Vodafone recently demonstrated DVB-SH technology
at the Parque das Nações in Lisbon, where the informal Summit of the EU Heads of State and government took place on October 18th and 19th 2007.
The demonstration enabled representatives of the Portuguese Government and of the broadcast, telecom and media sectors to watch Euronews, RTP Mobile, SIC and TVI, in the various languages on DVB-SH handsets supplied by Sagem Mobile.
This broadcast Mobile TV first in Portugal, based on the DVB-SH standard, constitutes a recognition of the role Portugal and the Portuguese Government are playing in order to stimulate mobile communications, in particular Mobile TV, in the framework of the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union.
On August 22, 2007, the Commission adopted a proposal to select systems for mobile satellite services at European level. If adopted by the European Parliament and the EU Council, this new selection mechanism will allow innovative service, such as Mobile TV based on DVB-SH in the S-Band, to develop smoothly throughout Europe as of 2009.
Source: WebWire
Item added: 7th November 2007
Vodafone expected to bid for DTT services
Broadband TV News reports that Vodafone is considering making a bid to operate the country’s DTT service. They are also said to be considering the launch of an IPTV service, in 2008, for which they already have in place much of the ADSL infrastructure needed.
The report goes on to say that a decision now needs to be made by Vodaphone about whether to continue with a bid on its own or team up with another partner. The Spanish telecommunications company Abertis Infraestructuras has already approached Portugal Telecom with a view to making a bid and PT Multimedia is another active contender.
The public consultation which has helped to re-start interest in the five proposed DTT multiplexes closed on October 15th.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 16th October 2007
DTT public consultation launched
On August 31st a public consultation on digital TV was launched by Anacom.
Five DTT multiplexes will be available, two of them providing national coverage.
Interested parties will be able to express their opinion on the rights and limitations to use frequencies and the procedures for awarding the licences.
The rules for the public tender which will award the right to use both regional and national frequencies are also up for discussion, as well as whether or not interactive and HDTV services should be offered.
The results of the consultation, which concludes on October 15th, will be analysed before the tenders are released.
This is expected by the end of the year, with licences issued during the first half of 2008.
Source: Anacom website
Item added: 3rd September 2007
Impresa proposes DTT consortium in Portugal
Impresa, the Portuguese Media group has proposed the creation of a consortium among public broadcaster RTP and private TV channels SIC and TVI, to compete for the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) licenses.
The proposal was put forward during a presentation of the company’s digital plans in Lisbon, where it was revealed that discussions have already taken place with Media Capital, the owner of TVI. The partnership could also be extended to RTP. The president of Impresa underlined that the company, via SIC, is interested in both free-to-air and pay-TV channels on DTT, stressing that priority must be given to HDTV.
The Portuguese Government will launch two separate DTT tenders, one for the management of the digital platform which will carry the FTA channels and another for pay-TV channels. The first tender, for the platform carrying RTP, SIC and TVI, will be organised by national telecom regulator Anacom, as the FTA channels already have a license. The second tender, for its part, foresees the awarding of a license for management of the DTT platform and another for the joint management of pay-TV channels.
Source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 16th July 2007
DTT bidding process soon
Although the bidding process for DTT licences in Portugal has yet to begin some potential bidders are already being excluded. Parliamentary affairs minister Augusto Santos Silva has told local media that he will respect the decision of the country’s competition regulator, which has said that PT Multimedia will not be allowed to bid for a DTT licence if it continues to hold on to its cable network. Any company that already holds 50% of a platform will not be allowed to bid. Two DTT licence awards are expected, one for Pay TV and one for Free to View TV.
Source: Broadband TV News 6th July 2007
Item added: 10th July 2007
DVB-H trial completed
TV1 Portugal and Vodafone Portugal have successfully completed their DVB-H trial. Eight live channels were broadcast to a panel of users with Samsung phones.
The results will be released later, however some sources say that Portugal is better placed than other European countries to offer mobile services, with over 60% of voice calls made using mobile phones compared with the European average of 43%.
Main source: broadbandtvnews
Item added: 21st June 2007
DTT consultation during August
The introduction of DTT in Portugal will be put to public consultation during August according to the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Works, Transport and Communications, Paulo Campos.
Opinions have already been received from ERC (the body that regulates social communication) and AdC (the competition authority). Opinion from Anacom (the telecom regulator) is expected in the next few days. After the public consultation is completed a ruling will be made and tenders issued, allowing applications for licences to begin.
Mario Lino, Minister for Public Works and Communications made it clear, in recent speeches, that during Portugal’s presidency of the EU, in the second half of the year, DTT will be one of the priorities for the telecom sector. He went on to say that decisions must be made on the possible uses that the spectrum, freed up during the switchover process, can be used for.
Source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 21st May 2007
DTT tenders split in two parts
The Portuguese Government has announced that tenders for DTT operations are tobe split into two.
One will be for the management of the free-to-air channelsand the other for Pay-TV channels.The first tender will be for a platform to carry thefour national free-to-air channels RTP 1 and 2, SIC and TVI. It will beorganised by the telecom regulator Anacom because the channels have alreadybeen licensed, according to a government spokesman.The second tender will be for the award of a license for the management of abroadcast platform as well as another for the joint management of Pay-TVchannels.
Main source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 1st May 2007
DTT licence tender expected at the end of 2007
The Portuguese Government has postponed the tender to award terrestrial TV(DTT) channels until the end of the year.
According to the Minister for Public Works, Transportand Communications, Mário Lino, the tender was delayed due to Sonaecom’sunsuccessful IPO.
Media groups Impresa and Media Capital are reported to have had talks with theaim of reaching a common position on DTT but are awaiting the Governmentannouncement on the DTT model for Portugal before making their joint positionpublic.
Source: advancedtelevision
Item added: 21st March 2007
DVB-H trial in the greater Lisbon area
Commercial broadcaster TVI, has teamed with Vodafone Portugal to launch a trial DVB-H service in the greater Lisbon area. Portugal’s private TV transmission network provider Media Capital’s RETI is providing the transmission services.
DVB-H licences still have to be awarded and this will take place after a tendering process.
Source: advanced-television
Item added: 5th December 2006
Anacom to issue two DTT licences
Portuguese telecom regulator Anacom has been approached by more than ten companies interested in launching Digital Terrestrial Television in the country according to the web site advanced-television.com. Portugal Telecom (PT), Sonaecom, AR Telecom, France’s TDF, Retevision, RTP, Impresa, Media Capital, Cofina and Controlinveste have all expressed interest in the introduction of DTT in Portugal.
The first DTT signals should be on the air in January 2008 and the rollout will continue on a progressive basis as existing analogue transmissions are replaced.
Mario Freitas, the head of DTT at Anacom, is reported to have said that Anacom will issue two DTT licenses, one for free-to-air channels such as RTP, 2, SIC and TV1 and the second for a pay-TV service.
Source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 13th November 2006
Terrestrial Digital Television to start in early 2007
Portugal is planning to start Terrestrial Digital Television (TDT) in the first quarter of 2007 according to a short article in the Jornal de Negócios Online.
The O Ministério das Obras Públicas, Transportes e Comunicações (MOPTC) will also look at how it can extend the TDT service for mobile delivery using DVB-H during 2007 and especially the availability of free spectrum space.
Source: Negócios Online
Item added: 17th October 2006
New report on spectrum
The Government plans to provide incentives for the development of new communication services, including DTT according to a new report published by the communication regulator Anacom. The efficient use of spectrum is to be promoted and it will introduce market mechanisms to do so.
It is also reported that the Electronic Communications Law (5/2004) of 10 February 2004 will be fully implemented.
Source: Digitag
Item added: 6th September 2005
Portugal to relaunch DTT in 2006
According to advanced-television.com the Portuguese Government intend to call a public tender in the first half of 2006 to award DTT licences in an attempt to relaunch the market. Media Capital and Telco SGC Telecom and unspecified "others" have already expressed their interest.
Source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 9th August 2005
Recent
Portuguese regulator approves DVB-T, DVB-H, MPEG-4 trials
The National Communication Authority in Portugal (Anacom) has authorised Siemens, SGC Telecom and Group Media Capital to carry out technical trials of digital terrestrial television using DVB-T according to Digital Media Europe.
The trial will test out reception of DVB-H on mobile terminals and will use MPEG-4 compression technology.
Source: Digital Media Europe
Item added: 15th July 2005
Previous
Jorge Borrego, the Portuguese Transport and Communication minister, announced that a new call for tenders will be organised on March 2005 to award new digital terrestrial television licences. "We won't do the same errors we made in the past" , explained the Minister speaking about licences awarded in March 2003 and never operated.
Source: DigiTag
Background
A licence was awarded to PTDP in October 2001 to provide four multiplexes with the proviso that they started by a specific date. This date was extended to the first half of 2003 and in the event the licence was revoked by order of the Minister for the Economy on March 25th 2003.
