The number of municipalities without any 5G antenna installed in the respective territory has dropped to three: Pedrógão Grande (Leiria), Vila Viçosa (Évora) and Corvo (Azores).

According to an Anacom balance sheet, the three largest operators — NOS, Vodafone and MEO — continued to install 5G during the first quarter, leading the number of fifth-generation antennas to grow by 20% compared to the last quarter of 2022, to 6,992 in total.

There are, however, 36 municipalities in which only one operator is represented. Of these, almost all (35) only have MEO antennas and the other only has Vodafone.

The regulator's quarterly balance sheet also allows for the conclusion that more than half of Portuguese parishes (55%) already have at least one 5G antenna. But “the total area of parishes where there are no 5G stations represents 40% of the national territory and, according to the 2021 Census, corresponds to 12% of the population”, notes Anacom in a statement.

In contrast, most antennas (63%) are located in predominantly urban areas.