Amovate has written to the President and the Prime Minister of Portugal asking them to intervene in the dispute between Aljezur Camara and the Parque Natural da Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vincentina over the provision of high-speed fibre optic broadband to Vale da Telha and the surrounding areas.

We understand the Park Authority refused to allow relay towers to be installed by the company rolling out the system in this part of Portugal after the Government pledged that superfast broadband access at home would be made available to a large proportion of its citizens.

Bearing in mind the fact that most expats now rely on broadband for their TV programmes from the UK and northern European countries we feel it is increasingly urgent that the programme SHOULD be rolled out across Vale da Telha and the areas around it.

That is the motivating factor behind our decision to write to the leaders of this country—with copies of the letter going to the Park Authority, to Sapo and, of course, to the President of the Aljerzur Camara—asking them to overrule the Park Authority.

This is the letter now on the way to all of these people…

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To President Aníbal Cavaco Silva, and Prime Minister: Pedro Passos Coelho.

Last year the Portuguese government promised that superfast broadband access at home would be made available to a large proportion of its citizens.

Indeed Portugal is to be commended for the way it has so rigorously pursued that promise, which is in line with one of the European Union’s most ambitious targets—to make sure that all its citizens can get access to superfast broadband at home, if they choose, by 2020.

We understand Portugal is already nearly 75% towards achieving that aim. To its immense credit Portugal has made major investments in broadband coverage, particularly for next generation access.

We understand, too, that despite its economic problems Portugal is well ahead of the European averages for the coverage of fixed line standard and NGA services.  For example it has the fifth highest Total NGA Coverage of any of the study countries, 74.5%, and the third highest rural figure at 33%.

That being so, we are deeply concerned that a branch of your Government has denied access to superfast broadband to a community in the Western Algarve, even though such a service has already been rolled out across all the neighbouring areas.

The authorities who govern the Parque Natural da Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vincentina have refused permission for five relay stations to be installed across Vale da Telha and the surrounding areas even though the service WAS supplied to the town of Aljezur, whose Camara collects its taxes from the residents of Vale da Telha and those surrounding areas.

This clearly goes directly against the wishes of the Government to provide Superfast Broadband access to all its citizens.

Our Association is called AMOVATE—the Associação Dos Moradores e Amigos do Vale Da Telha—and our members represent not just the local Portuguese community but also a cross section of the various nationalities who have chosen to live here.

We find it surprising that the elected Government stands by and allows a small subsidiary arm of its administration to take it upon themselves to deny the citizens of Vale da Telha and the surrounding areas a service which has been promised to them by the Government itself.

Or do the managers of the Parque Natural da Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vincentina believe THEY govern this country, breaking the promises of the Government itself?

Superfast broadband is vital to the residents of this community, many of them expatriates (people who have pumped millions of Euros into the Portuguese economy) who rely on these services to keep in touch with their families, friends, and indeed the television services of their countries of origin.

We would ask you, respected President, (respected Prime Minister) to instruct the Parque Natural da Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vincentina to abide by the Government’s promise and reverse their decision, allowing the company responsible for fulfilling the superfast broadband installation contract, to erect those relay stations and make sure the service is available to this community.

Thanking you for your interest and awaiting your decision with interest.

(Signed) Peter Johnson,

President,

AMOVATE