Ericsson Wants a Role in Portugal’s Emergency Network Replacement, and Says the Current Plan Is Too Slow

Ericsson has put down a marker for one of Portugal’s largest pending public technology programmes. Juan Olivera, Ericsson’s chief executive for Portugal and Spain, told journalists in Lisbon on October 28 that the company would like to take part in the future SIRESP emergency and security radio network, but that the plan to move it from today’s TETRA technology to 4G and 5G standards has not yet been designed. The remarks were reported by ECO and Tek Noticias.

Olivera’s main message was about speed. He said that if Portugal follows the plan as it stands, it will fall behind the rest of Europe. He called TETRA old technology in which it makes no sense to keep investing, and said all public-safety networks will move to the global 3GPP standard and to 4G and 5G. He acknowledged that the switch cannot be immediate given how critical the network is for security forces and emergency services, but argued that having a plan is not enough and that the country has to move forward.

The review of SIRESP began after the Iberian blackout of April 28, 2025, when the government said the network showed structural and operational limitations under high demand. In May 2026 a working group presented 33 recommendations to the Ministry of Internal Administration. These include a gradual move to a hybrid critical-communications system running the existing TETRA network alongside 3GPP broadband for a transition period, a new public body to manage the state’s critical communications independently of the current SIRESP operator, and an initial investment of about 36 million euros. TETRA would not be switched off before 2038, with the final date left to a political decision.

The working group named Finland, Sweden, France, Spain and the United Kingdom as countries following a similar hybrid approach. Both Nordic countries are well ahead. Finland’s state-owned Erillisverkot is moving its VIRVE authority network to broadband over a commercial operator’s infrastructure, and Sweden is working on the next generation of its Rakel network. That gives Ericsson and Nokia, both Nordic vendors, reference projects close to home for exactly the model Portugal says it wants.

Olivera also used the briefing to push for faster 5G standalone roll-out and for approval of the EU’s Digital Networks Act. He said neither Europe nor Portugal is ready to talk about 6G until advanced 5G is deployed at scale. This week Portugal’s telecoms association APRITEL has also been arguing with DIGI over the renewal of mobile spectrum, a reminder that the country’s network decisions are bunched together over the next two years.

Ericsson’s Portuguese subsidiary is based at Taguspark in Oeiras and is one of the two main radio-network suppliers to Portugal’s mobile operators, alongside Nokia, which this month launched a joint innovation programme with MEO. Ericsson acknowledged that it would not be the only interested supplier for the SIRESP replacement.

Portugal has not disclosed a procurement timeline for the SIRESP replacement, the total budget beyond the initial 36 million euros, or whether the hybrid approach will use a commercial operator’s infrastructure or a dedicated state network. The government has not responded to Olivera’s comments.

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