The President of the Republic criticized the performance of telecommunications companies during storms Kristin and Leonardo, stating that they “behaved badly”. In reaction, operators NOS and MEO vehemently rejected the statements.
The President of the Republic stated this Wednesday, in statements to journalists, that the following the passage of Depression Kristin and, more recently, Storm Leonardo.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s words were not well received by the main telecommunications companies in Portugal.
Miguel Almeida, executive president of stated that the President of the Republic is poorly informed, considering that his statements reveal callousness and inhumanity in the face of hundreds of professionals who, since last Wednesday, have been working day and night to recover from the greatest destruction of communications networks ever recorded in Portugal.
On the same day, the executive president of ensured that the company immediately activated the contingency plan in light of the storm, on the 28th, and considered that the statements made by the President of the Republic can only result from incomplete information.
“Since the 28th, we immediately activated our contingency plan, with more than 1,500 technicians on the ground, mobilized continuously, often in extremely demanding conditions” and “our crisis room was also activated, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ensuring permanent coordination of all technical and operational resources”, asserted Ana Figueiredo.
The person in charge highlighted that were triggered alternative means of emergency and that the company’s priority is the full recovery of services and support for critical populations and entities.
Rejects the statements made by the President of the Republic, which he considered based on information incomplete or inaccurate and defended the professionalism and continuous effort of the teams, stating that the communications sector responded with sense of mission and responsibility.
[Artigo atualizado às 20:38]
