Telecoms Engineers in Portugal have a tough time

Have you ever thought about telecoms engineers? Have you really given it any thought? When you request an installation for 8 pm, or a repair for 9 pm? Saturdays, Sundays, Bank Holidays...

Do you remember the Covid days? Did anyone think of the telecoms technicians? There was talk of doctors, police officers, firefighters, etc... But what about the technicians? After all, without them, no one could communicate. Yet not a single mention. Not a single journalist brought the issue into the public eye…

Anyone who works on the streets, and in this profession, knows exactly what I mean. An undervalued profession facing immense difficulties (ranging from weather conditions and access to infrastructure to the difficulties imposed even by the authorities).

Imagine what it would be like to work daily with street cabinets of the quality shown in the first photo. There would be far fewer faults, and any that did arise would be resolved much more quickly and efficiently.

Unfortunately, things aren’t like that here, and even worse (photos below)

(repairing faults isn’t easy, and it becomes much more difficult in these conditions)

But one day the dream will come true and we’ll have booths like the one in the first photo; we’ll have public cabinets / boxes like this one

Things have been worse. We have to admit that some progress has been made, but there is still a long way to go.

For those who walk the streets, it would be excellent if the operators started inspecting the poles that technicians have to climb (some locations remain inaccessible, forcing professionals to enter private property without permission, etc.), whilst other poles are old and dilapidated and should have been replaced long ago. Dirty and dilapidated junction boxes, distribution points (DPs) in hard-to-reach locations (for example, in public car parks). Let’s hope that one day things will improve.

Whether you’re a member of the public or a telecoms technician, if you’d like to send us suggestions or ideas, or even get involved, or if you have any photos you’d like to see published or shared, please send them to

suporte@tugatvpc.com

We would also like to ask the authorities (more specifically the GNR’s tax division) to be a little more understanding. Fines put a strain on the budget, and in this profession nobody is paid a fortune. You can also rest assured that everyone pays their taxes. Amidst the stress and pressure, and the wide variety of materials used on a day-to-day basis, it is normal for some things to slip through the net and for some invoices to contain minor discrepancies.

I had to make this request ...