This Saturday the Sant’Ana Palace, in São Miguel, was the place chose for the celebration of a protocol that will alllow all Azoreans to Access, via Cabo TV Açores, the four television channels – RTP1, RTP2, SIC and TVI – and RTP Açores as well. This is the result of a protocol signed between TV Cabo, the regional Government of the Azores, the Portuguese Government and ICP/Anacom which aims at contributing towards the development of an information and know-how society within the region.
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Luís Pacheco de Mello,
Director PT Multimedia
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“This initiative results from the partnership between TV Cabo, the regional and central authorities as well as Anacom, tailor-made to the information needs of the Azoreans without having to pay any sort of monthly fee”, explains the director of PT Multimedia, Luís Pacheco de Mello. Up until now the population of the Azores that did not have TV Cabo services only had access to RTP 1 and RTP Açores.
Within the scope of this protocol, the equipment for reception of television signal via satellite or cable will be available at cost price and regional and national authorities will partake in its acquisition.
The acquisition price of the equipment will be only Euro 50, a substantially lower price that exercised on the market. Cabo TV Açores promises to install 1700 equipments per month, in addition to assuming all maintenance and assistance expenses. “In addition to the immediate benefit of Access to these five channels, this initiative allows an important technological and quality upgrade, allowing many Azoreans the change from analogical service to digital”, adds Luís Pacheco de Melo.
In situations of adhesion to the equipment and to the rest of the TV Cabo offer, the Regional and Central Government is reimbursed by PT Multimedia of the value of the participated share in the acquisition of antennae and digital boxes.
Currently, there are 55 thousand houses with cable in the Azores, where Access is via optic fibre used in the São Miguel, Terceira and Faial islands. In the remaining six islands, the television signal of the TV Cabo network arrives via satellite. There is a total of 23 thousand DTH clients. In cable Access, Cabo TV Açores registers 43 thousand clients.
“With this Project, we aim at reinforcing the ties with the Azorean population, giving continuity to an objective of quality service, this time in a completely open manner”, says the director of PT Multimedia.
In 2004, a similar protocol was signed in Madeira. In one year, 13.500 people from Madeira adhered to this initiative. They now have four television channels and better technological platforms for access.