Tarifa Social de Acesso a Serviços de Internet — Portugal's Statutory €6.15 Plan and Its Slow First-Year Uptake

Portugal's Tarifa Social de Acesso a Serviços de Internet took effect on 1 January 2022, with applications opening on 21 February 2022. It targets about 780,000 households, the same population eligible for the social electricity and water tariffs: households receiving certain social benefits or with annual income of €5,808 or less (raised by 50% per member without income, up to ten people).
The tariff costs €6.15 per month including 23% VAT, with at least 15 GB of data per month and minimum speeds of 12 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up; a one-time activation or equipment fee of up to €26.38 may apply. Applications go through the operator, with ANACOM checking eligibility.
Uptake was weak. ANACOM had received 314 requests by 11 April 2022 (Lusa via DNoticias), and the Secretary of State for Digitalisation said the tariff was not getting the uptake the government wanted. By July 2022 about 750 families had applied, of which 450 were eligible (Dinheiro Vivo via DN).
ANACOM attributed the low uptake to the market context, contract lock-in and early-termination penalties on bundles, a lack of standalone internet offers, low digital literacy, and the tariff's conditions, which it called 'exíguas' (meagre) and below what it had recommended. It also said the measure should not be judged only on six months of data. The consumer association Deco Proteste noted that bundling can cost more than cheaper packages.
Cautionary lesson: a statutory price floor does not by itself drive take-up. No later enrolment figures were found, so the long-term outcome is undocumented here.

Read the full analysis: https://www.dn.pt/arquivo/diario-de-noticias/apenas-750-familias-pediram-acesso-a-tarifa-social-de-internet-desde-o-inicio-da-medida-15060713.html