The Autoridad Nacional de Comunicaçoes (ANACOM), the Direção-Geral do Consumidor (DGC) and the European Consumer Centre in Portugal (EEC-Portugal) have launched the information campaign ‘Communications for Expats’ (Com4Expats) on the occasion of World Telecommunications and Information Society Day. The aim is informing consumers moving to Portugal - whether as workers, students or retirees - on how to contract and use electronic communications services in the neighbouring country.
The Com4Expats.pt portal provides practical information on how to choose different providers, as well as everything needed to contract and use telecommunications and information services. The portal also includes an area dedicated to the different institutions in charge of handling complaints, which also provides contact details so that consumers can easily access the information they need to resolve their disputes with companies.
Thus, it is reported -for example- that Portugal uses GSM, UMTS, LTE and NR networks in its mobile communications infrastructure, which means that most people visiting Portugal will be able to connect with their mobile devices as long as they are compatible with this technology and their subscriptions have roaming agreements in place. In addition, people coming from a European Economic Area country will be able to benefit from the ‘Roaming as at home’ regime, meaning that they will be able to use their home country contract, but with limitations.
In this regard, the Com4Expats portal advises against using roaming for long stays, as in order to enjoy roaming services without additional costs, users must have habitual residence or stable links that imply a frequent and significant presence in the Member State where the roaming operator is based. Otherwise, the operator may impose surcharges under its fair use policy.
It also informs that the single emergency telephone number for the whole of the European Union (112) can be used free of charge to request, in cases of urgent need, the assistance of the services required for health emergencies, fire fighting and rescue, public safety or Civil Protection.
About ECC-Spain.
The European Consumer Centre in Spain is a public service co-funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030. It is part of the ECC-Net (European Consumer Centre-Network) made up of each of the European Consumer Centres in the Member States, plus Norway and Iceland. Created in 2005, it provides information, assistance and personalised advice to consumers living in Spain who have problems with transactions performed in companies based in another ECC-Net country, as well as in the UK. Its aim is to help citizens know their rights as consumers and enjoy all the benefits of the Single Market. To this end, ECC-Spain provides legal, technical and linguistic assistance in order to resolve complaints amicably without the need to go to court.