The Portuguese telecommunications regulator is calling on the country’s operators to “assess and mitigate” the impact of price rises on consumers.
With inflationary pressures piling up, ANACOM says the situation is further aggravated by the proportion of household expenditure on communication services being higher than the European Union average.
The regulator believes there are important economic and social reasons that should be considered before any revisions in prices are introduced. “Very significant price increases are disruptive for consumers, so sharp changes in tariff conditions should be avoided… it is also particularly important to communicate and inform consumers of less expensive or more appropriate offers.”
Other measures that the regulator says operators should put in place include the removal of early termination charges for consumers subscribing to social tariffs for internet access and to allow for easy payment of invoices when a consumer gets into financial difficulty.