2024-11-26

Braga company brings fiber optics to over 90% of Ponte da Barca homes


The multi-operator fibre optic network of dstelecom, a DST Group company from Braga, will reach more than 92% of the homes in the municipality of Ponte da Barca, it was announced today.

In a statement, the company said that ‘as a result of this increase in capacity, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, more families in the municipality will be able to enjoy high-quality, competitive telecommunications services comparable to the best services available in the country's large urban areas’.

Present in the municipality of Ponte da Barca since 2014, Dstelecom now guarantees that around 8,000 families in the municipality can be connected to the fibre optic digital highway, in the towns of Azias, Boivães, Bravães, Crasto, Cuide de Vila Verde, Entre Ambos-os-Rios, Grovelas, Lavradas, Nogueira, Oleiros, Paço Vedro de Magalhães, Ponte da Barca, Ruivos, Salvador, Sampriz, Santiago, São João Baptista, São Lourenço, Vade (São Pedro), Vade (São Tomé) and Vila Nova de Muía.

Ricardo Salgado, CEO of dstelecom, stresses that this step is another advance in the company's mission to democratise digital access in Portugal and reduce inequalities in access to high-speed internet, especially in the interior.

‘Reinforcing the network in Ponte da Barca is a positive sign. We are making another significant contribution to the connectivity of the territory. Our network not only expands the possibilities for families and local businesses, but also helps to energise the region and reduce the differences between the coast and the interior,’ he said, quoted in the statement.

As well as having access to a modern telecoms infrastructure, Ponte da Barca's residents and businesses can now choose between the main operators in Portugal, benefiting from a diversified and competitive offer.

Barquenses can now check the availability of fibre coverage, indicating their address and ideally a GPS coordinate or reference point, by emailing euquerofibra@dstelecom.pt or calling 800 910 660.

It should be remembered that dstelecom operates and maintains the first and largest multi-operator fibre optic network in Europe, where the main telecommunications operators operating in Portugal are customers of the network and, through it, make their services available to the end consumer.

Currently, dstelecom's digital highway reaches 149 municipalities, totalling almost 1 million homes, essentially in areas where there is a greater digital shortage.

This project in Ponte da Barca reinforces dstelecom's commitment to building an inclusive digital future, where all municipalities, regardless of their location, can be part of the digital economy.

Fonte: O Minho