Portugal starts DTT frequency migration to enable 5G
February 4, 2020
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
Portugal will start the DTT frequency migration process on February 7th to free up the frequencies necessary for the rollout of 5G mobile technology.
The process will start at the Sines transmitter site and follows a successful pilot in Odivelas last November.
At stake is the 700 MHz frequency, currently used for DTT broadcasting, which will be included in the auctions for the 5G licences that will start in April 2021.
After Sines, the migration of broadcasters will continue in the Algarve from 10 February, continuing from the south to the north of the country, concluding at the end of June. The schedule for the DTT network migration generated strong criticism from multiplex operator Meo (Altice Portugal), which has even taken legal action against Anacom.
The DTT migration process will not entail costs for viewers nor should it affect the quality of the service and users will only need to re-tune their TV sets. It is estimated that the change will affect nearly one fourth of the population of Portugal, or more than 500,000 households, for a total of 2.3 million people.
To help viewers, the National Communications Authority (Anacom) has created a free phone support line.