Telecommunications prices rose 4.2% in May from the same month of 2022, but remained unchanged from April, the National Communications Authority (Anacom) reported on Friday.
“In May 2023, telecommunication prices, as measured by the respective group of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), have not changed compared to the previous month. Compared to the same month of the previous year, prices have increased by 4.2%”Anacom said in a statement.
The year-on-year change in prices was 0.2 percentage point higher than the CPI (4%).
In turn, the average rate of change in telecommunications prices over the past year was 2.2%, minus six percentage points (pp) compared to that of the CPI (8.2%).
According to data from Eurostat (Statistics Office of the European Union), cited by the regulator, the average change rates for the last 12 months were 3.9% and 0.9% respectively in bundled services and mobile telephony services.
“In May 2023, the average rate of change of telecommunication prices over the last 12 months in Portugal was higher than that in the European Union (+1.8 pp)”marked.
Portugal has the 10th largest price variation among the countries of the European Union, with the country experiencing the largest price increase being Poland (+6.5%), while the largest decrease was seen in the Netherlands (-3.6%).
Since the end of 2010, telecom prices have increased by 17.2%, while the CPI has increased by 24.3%.
“Between 2015 and 2019, the cumulative change in telecommunications prices exceeded the cumulative change in CPI due to ‘price adjustments’ by major providers”clarified.
In 2019, the decrease in the difference between the two indices is justified by the entry into force of a European regulation that imposed maximum limits on international calls and SMS within the EU.
Between the end of 2009 and May 2023, telecommunications prices in Portugal increased by 15.1%, while the average value in the European Union fell by 7.9%.
The regulator also pointed out that the minimum monthly fees are offered by Nowo in eight of the 13 services/offers under consideration.
Meo and Vodafone in turn had the lowest monthly rates for four and two types of services/offers respectively.
The NOS had the lowest monthly amount for a service/offer.
According to the same note, 32 services/offers in homologous terms had increases and six had decreases.
Among the increases, for example, the minimum monthly cost for TVS has been increased by 7.6%, “due to the discontinuation of the TVS ‘single play’ offers by the NOS” and the minimum monthly cost for the 5P offer (package that includes five services includes) growing 6.3% with the monthly fee increase for Vodafone’s ‘Fibra 4 light’ offer in February.
“Compared to the same month of the previous year, Meo increased the monthly rate per provider for seven services/offers, while NOS increased the monthly rate for ten services/offers. Vodafone in turn increased the minimum monthly rate for all 13 services/offers considered. Nowo reduced the monthly fee for six services/offers (increased the discount amount during the first six months of Nowo’s offer) and increased the monthly fee for two services/offers”indicated.
Source: DN
