Altice Portugal condemns regulator’s DTT price ruling

Altice Portugal reacted negatively after Portuguese regulator ANACOM ordered Altice-owned incumbent telco and transmission services provider Meo to cut the price it charges for the transport and transmission of digital-terrestrial TV signals by 15.16% following a public consultation.

Altice said that the move was “unfair” and would have “a negative impact on the future of digital-terrestrial TV in Portugal”. The company said it would consider all avenues to challenge the decision.

The price cut means that Meo will be obliged to charge TV broadcasters RTP, SIC and TVI a maximum of €885,100 per Mbps for the transmission of terrestrial TV signals.

The move, which follows a 30-day consultation period, confirmed an initial ruling made as long ago as July and came after ANACOM concluded that the prices currently charged by Meo, agreed between the telco and TV providers, broke the law by exceeding the price limit presented in the tender for the allocation of rights to use frequencies on digital-terrestrial multiplex A in the country.

Meo was given 10 days to notify RTP, SIC and TVI of its new prices.