Work to expand Portugal's fiber optic network into remote white zones has officially begun in two regional development areas following contracts signed in July.
Government officials warned on Tuesday that completing the infrastructure installation could take up to two years in certain areas of the country.
Secretary of State for Local Administration and Spatial Planning Silverio Regalado informed members of parliament that teams are already active on the ground in two regions. He noted that the project is complex and that execution times will extend to two years in some locations.
Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion Manuel Castro Almeida provided additional details during a parliamentary committee hearing, explaining that around 415,000 buildings in unserved regions will eventually gain access to high-speed internet through the initiative.
Delays and legal challenges
The contracts were signed on July 3 in Carrazeda de Ansiaes, located in the Braganca district, between telecommunications operator DSTelecom and Portugal's five Regional Coordination and Development Commissions, known as CCDRs.
Castro Almeida recalled that the international public tender was initially launched in December 2023 under the previous Socialist administration. However, the process faced significant delays before reaching final award status due to procedural and judicial hurdles.
The minister previously informed parliament in October last year that contract signing had been suspended following legal action brought by a competing bidder. With legal obstacles cleared, contracts in several regions have received approval, while others remain subject to review by the Court of Auditors, the national audit institution.
Funding and national connectivity goals
The infrastructure project forms part of Portugal's National Strategy for Connectivity in Very High Capacity Electronic Communications Networks 2023-2030. The policy aims to guarantee gigabit network access across the entire Portuguese population by 2030.
In telecommunications policy, white zones refer to low-density inland areas where high-speed broadband infrastructure is currently unavailable. When the tender was first announced on December 12, 2023, officials estimated the initiative would cover more than 400,000 homes across rural regions.
The expansion relies on 30 million euros in public co-financing. Funding is split between the European Regional Development Fund under the Portugal 2030 program and national public revenue generated from the country's 5G spectrum auction.
