The Association of Telecommunications Operators (APRITEL) presented the latest data on communications prices, based on EUROSTAT figures for March 2022. The association highlights the competitive dynamics of the Portuguese electronic communications market, which contributes to the general decline in prices practiced in Portugal when compared to other European Union countries. fixed broadband prices eu

“In a context of generalized increase in prices in the economy, national communications services contribute to less inflationary pressure on the national economy, through an evolution below the observed inflation”, he says in the statement.

Focusing on the prices of fixed internet services, the association points out that Portugal is at the forefront of reductions, with regard to the average of the last 12 months. In this sense, he highlights that fixed internet services decreased by 5.2%, in contrast to the European Union, which recorded an increase of 0.9%.

Portugal ranks second on the list, behind Slovenia, which dropped 6.1% and Bulgaria and Greece in third, with 4.5% less. On the other side of the spectrum, France recorded the highest growth in prices at 5.1%, followed by Finland with 1.8% and Austria with 1.7%.

APRITEL also points out that, in parallel with the reduction in prices, the coverage rate of high-speed fixed networks has been increasing. The association cites Anacom’s figures, referring that in 2021, 92% of all households covered by high-speed networks were reached , a growth of 3.1% compared to 2020.

It is also mentioned that the comparative price evolution data supported by EUROSTAT’s HICP (Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices) cannot be used to compare price levels between countries, but only their evolution. This is, in fact, the point of contention with Anacom, which continues to consider Portugal as one of the  countries with the highest mobile data prices in Europe .

The association says that the biases of the analysis are the greater the greater the time series, “to the extent that the IHCP changes the weights of each component, from year to year, which imposes limitations on the conclusions that can be drawn from historical series. lengths of the same index. fixed broadband prices eu