Portuguese telecoms regulator Anacom’s board has dismissed proposals for the reintroduction of asymmetry in mobile termination rates (MTR). National newspaper Jornal de Negocios has reported the proposals were rejected following a public consultation on the matter.
In October 2007, Anacom presented proposals that would have allowed third place mobile operator Sonaecom’s Optimus to charge a 20% premium in MTRs when compared with Portugal Telecom’s (PT) mobile unit Telecomunicacoes Moveis Nacionais (TMN) and Vodafone Portugal. Optimus has around a 16.5% market share while TMN and Vodafone each have over 40%. However, PT and Vodafone had argued that Optimus should not benefit from asymmetry as it is not a new operator, having been in the market for nine years.
Anacom chairman Amado da Silva has not set a date for the regulator’s final decision on the matter but told parliament it would be very soon.