Mafalda Machado

Porto Digital

Porto Digital is a private association founded 2004 by the Municipality of Porto, University of Porto and the Portuguese Business Association (AEP), in cooperation with Metro do Porto, in order to promote ICT projects within the context of the city of Porto and Porto's metropolitan area. Amongst its goals are increasing quality in education, particularly through an increased use of ICT on all levels of education; reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency of the municipality services; contribute to reducing the digital divide; and contribute to a better quality of life in the urban area for inhabitants, workers and tourists. Porto Digital implemented in 2006-2008 a fiber-optics backbone and a public access wireless mesh network. In February 2009 Porto Digital through a PPP created an open-access telecommunications operator, in which it holds a majority stake, that up to December 2013 will be deploying FTTH to the city of Porto.