The regulator has outlined measures for operators and the Portuguese Government to implement, while highlighting the role of spectrum management in mitigating the impacts of outages
ANACOM has recommended new resilience measures following recent severe weather events
On 28 January and 5 February 2026, Storms Kristin and Leonardo caused major outages of telecoms networks in Portugal. In response, on 5 February 2026, ANACOM published recommendations for measures to facilitate the restoration of telecoms services and to minimise the impact on end users. The measures are split into two sections, one for operators and one for the Government. Though the regulator has recognised the efforts that operators have already made to restore normal service provision in the affected areas, it argues that further actions are necessary to accelerate the process. ANACOM’s recommendations reflect the increasing priority regulators and policymakers around the world are placing on the reliability and durability of telecoms networks, with the Spanish Government and the CRTC in Canada among those to propose new security and resilience measures within the past six months.
Operators should implement five response mechanisms, including temporary national roaming and simplified duct and pole access
ANACOM has outlined five recommended measures for operators:
Enable temporary national roaming: Operators should, where feasible, enter into temporary roaming agreements to allow customers to access any available networks during the outage period;
Provide information to the public: Operators should inform the public, particularly via local radio broadcasts, about the ongoing state of their networks and services, potential fraudulent activity in the context of service restoration;
Create response mechanisms to support vulnerable users: Operators should identify and prioritise vulnerable and isolated end users who have experienced a loss of service;
Simplify duct and pole access: MEO should expedite response times in the affected areas and simplify the procedures associated with requests for use of its network assets outlined within its wholesale reference offers (RDAO and RPAO);
Speed up response times: Other owners of infrastructure suitable for the deployment of telecoms networks in the affected areas should similarly accelerate response times and simplify procedures in order to facilitate a rapid service restoration.
ANACOM has called on the Government to temporarily implement stronger consumer protection measures
ANACOM has also urged the Government to strengthen legal protections for end users in impacted areas. Under Article 129 of Portugal’s Electronic Communications Law 2022, which transposes the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC), end users have the right to compensation for an interruption of service that lasts longer than 24 hours and allows them free cancellation of their contracts if it lasts longer than 15 days. To bolster these provisions, ANACOM has suggested that the Government implements the following measures for three months:
Block operators from suspending the provision of services in the event of non-payment by end users;
Require operators to accept temporary contract suspension or cancellation requests from customers, without any penalties or additional charges; and
Require operators to promote the conclusion of any outstanding payment issues by agreeing discounted fees based on the income of affected end users.
Effective spectrum management can contribute to mitigating the impacts of disaster situations
The regulator is conscious of its role in addressing the impacts of network outages, highlighting its collaboration with industry, local authorities and national bodies, such as the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC). ANACOM also outlined how its role in spectrum management can help mitigate power failures, for example by:
Prioritising the processing of applications for temporary spectrum licences in areas affected by adverse weather conditions;
Ensuring restoration of the backbone signal transport network (the central network that connects the main elements of mobile operators’ networks), with a view to re-establishing priority communication hubs; and
Facilitating the temporary use of spectrum for trials of alternative technologies, such as direct-to-device (D2D) satellite services.
