By Andrea Hargraves 
Vodafone Portugal today expressed its “confusion” about changing the rules for 5G auction “in the midst of a game involving millions of euros”, considering Anacom’s position “arrogant and does not respect basic principles of stability”. At stake is the decision, this Thursday, about wanting to change the “rules of the game” regarding the 5G auction What happens, and this is already done He goes on his 60th day of work. Anacom said that “in order to prevent an eventual excessive extension of the duration of the 5G auction and other related bands, it decided to initiate a procedure to amend the relevant regulation that would allow the introduction of procedural acceleration mechanisms, including an increase in the daily number of rounds, and if necessary. The matter, greater increases in bid amounts. “
Vodafone Portugal, led by Mario Vaz, “Lake”, received yesterday (Thursday) the news of the intention revealed by Anacom to change the rules of the 5G auction amid a game involving millions of euros and its results. Is of the utmost importance to operators and the state, “the company said in a statement.
Vodafone said, “Anacom’s discovery of the importance and urgency of launching 5G in Portugal only in mid-April 2021 cannot fail to arouse our immense surprise, more than citing the decision arguments, among other things. Cabinet known since February 2020.” “We cannot, therefore, fail to consider the position of the authoritarian and disrespectful organizer of the basic principles of stability, predictability and respect for bidders’ freedom of action due to the legitimate use of the rules of the game that they set,” he says, bearing in mind that this is further evidence of a complete lack of competence. National Regulatory Authority.
The company regrets that it is only now that the regulator has come to the conclusion of the importance of 5G for national economic and social development, “If it had done it in time, as most of us warned, it would not have been that only the rules were different, because Portugal today really can benefit from this technology,” he asserts. , Warning of the investments he made in the other European markets in which he works. It also underscores the urgency to end the auction, strangely expressed by the organizer, citing the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Pedro Nuno Santos, on March 24, who said in Parliament that “with regard to the 5G auction, there is no problem, the operators are complaining, but This is a problem for the operators. ”I am very happy with the auction process. Vodafone questions whether there is good communication between the institutions and the possible lack of information on the issue of delaying the auction.
The operator indicates that current patterns of the auction process have been imposed by the organizer without anticipating the acceleration mechanisms, and this lends legitimacy to competitors to use strategies that better understand how to use their objectives and auction dynamics. “The regulator, as usual, does not bear the responsibilities, that is, those resulting from the apparent inability of the long period it took to design the process to benefit from the contributions received and the duty which was obligated to resort to examples of other European countries, which are now discovered only to justify the unjustifiable.”
He also says his current concern about the extraordinary duration of the auction in Portugal, compared to others, does not draw conclusions that it was a bad-minded thing. “The restrictions invoked are nothing more than the result of a process that was not well prepared from the start, in addition to being harmed by several violations, as was mentioned several times by Vodafone in the course of public consultations.
Finally, he says that after he has underestimated the risks to the people participating in the auction, his efforts, dedication and focus of the teams involved during these 60 days, including the most dangerous period of the pandemic, criticize the proposal to increase overtime daily for this process. “All the late proposals to change the current rules are, once again, evidence of technical ignorance and the total absence of study and analysis of these matters by the national regulatory body, in addition to a total lack of respect for the efforts and work of everyone … the professionals involved.”
The first factor that spoke was NOS, who said the decision was unacceptable and illegal, Noting that “this illegality, or even disloyalty, is not a matter of form. It is a fundamental issue of deviation in the auction process and the strategies identified by the participants, who, in the beginning, complied with the current rules.” NOS manager Filipa Carvalho rejected the notion that the proposed changes were insignificant, and provided the example of a soccer game. “Imagine what it would be like if, in the 90 minutes of the football match, the referee changed the rules and sped up at the end of the match with a golden goal. It is the same thing, it is totally unimaginable,” stressed the director of the game. Communications operator.
Note: Updated news with more information. Last updated 13h37.