Portugal monitors DTT with 400 probes
February 18, 2014
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
Portugal’s National Communications Authority (Anacom) has launched a project, consisting of 400 probes, to monitor the DTT signal 24 hours a day.
The project, costing an estimated €450,000, involves the placement of 386 probes in different locations and should be completed by the beginning of the third quarter of this year.
Four probes have been operational since last December, as part of an initial pilot network covering the municipalities of Vialonga, Benavente, Benfica do Ribatejo and Odivelas, where the signal has proved to be “stable” and “without major problems”, according to Anacom. There was only one problem in Vialonga, that will be reported to network operator Portugal Telecom.
The remaining 14 probes will serve as a reserve, in case of malfunction, or for parallel analyses.
Supplying the probes were awarded in April last year on an international tender to the consortium Ubiwhere-Wavecom, composed of Anacom, the Institute of Systems Engineering and Computers of Porto (INESCTEC), the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), Ubiwhere (consortium leader) and Wavecom.
Meanwhile, the president of Anacom, Fatima Barros, has announced that the public consultation on DTT, initially planned for January, will be launched “very soon”. The objective is to know what the market thinks about the future of DTT, particularly if there is interest in increasing the supply of channels and investors for the purpose.