ANACOM specifies 480 municipalities lacking 3G connectivity

Portuguese telecoms regulator Autoridade Nacional de Comunicacoes (ANACOM) has stepped up its project to expand 3G coverage across the country, by publishing a list of 480 municipalities still lacking wireless broadband access.

Vodafone is first in line to select the 160 locations in which it intends to roll out services; it has 30 days to lodge its choices with the watchdog. It will be followed by Telecomunicacoes Moveis Nacionais (TMN, the wireless arm of Portugal Telecom [PT]), while Optimus will be obliged to fulfil the remainder. It is believed that the three cellcos will be offered extra frequencies in the 800MHz spectrum band with which to undertake the project.