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.

1. Porto Digital Association
Overview
João Pedro Capelo
Porto - April, 8, 2010
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2. Agenda
1. About Porto Digital
2. Porto Digital: On the way to the knowledge based society
3. Porto Digital: Telecommunications Infrastructure in the City of Porto
4. Porto Digital: Support Municipality and Metropolitan Area Projects
Porto Digital 2

3. 1- About Porto
Digital
Porto Digital 3

4. About 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 to
promote ICT projects within the context of the city of Porto and Porto's metropolitan area.
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;
• 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 in the
city of Porto.
Porto Digital 4

5. 2- Porto Digital:
On the way to
the knowledge
based society
Porto Digital 5

6. Porto Digital: On the way to the knowledge based society
The Porto Digital project, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund,
aimed to broaden the use of the Internet by the citizens of the city of Porto.
To achieve this objective, Porto Digital implemented a number of
complementary initiatives from January 2005 to June 2007, namely:
• Building a broadband network infrastructure based on 93 km of
optical fiber and several aerials for wireless communication;
• Development of interactive websites on topics such as employment,
culture, tourism, social support and real estate;
• e-government activities, in particular online services of the city
council;
• Establishment of free Internet access spots in public places;
• Lending computer equipment to a number of selected schools and
social institutions during short periods on a rotating basis;
• Gathering and dissemination of information on employment and
entrepreneurship in the city of Porto (Cidade das Profissões).
Porto Digital 6

7. Porto Digital: on the way to the knowledge based society
Results to the city:
Broadband connection covers now about 55 sites including premises of local, regional and
national administration, museums and cultural organizations, public library, the City Park,
primary schools, high schools, university faculties and the chamber of commerce.
The broadband infrastructure has been built in such a way to guarantee a
geographical coverage of most of the city. In 2009 the network was expanded,
including connecting more than 500 social housing buildings to the fiber network.
The Internet is now accessible by a wider public including young people, poorer
communities, and people with physical or mental disabilities (provision of specific
hardware and software). Moreover, a resource centre was created with the mission
of providing and distributing to schools (in the framework of temporary working
groups and special events) about 150 computers, 100 laptops, 100 interactive
whiteboards, 15 video cameras, 45 digital cameras and 12,500 information
technology magazines (one per student at the primary school level). In the first nine
months of 2008 the resource centre is to support an initiative of the Porto City
Council in order to place 100 interactive whiteboards in 50 primary schools
together with additional help-desk and training services for about 500 teachers
spread all over the city.
Porto Digital 7

8. 3- Porto Digital:
Telecommunicati
ons Infrastructure
in the City of
Porto
Porto Digital 8

9. Porto Digital: Telecommunications Infrastructure in the City of Porto
• In 2007 the Optic Fibre Network connected
54 points of interest (Institutions of higher
education and Public Institutions) in the
city. Porto Digital installed Free Wi-Fi
internet access Points in some public
spaces of the city.
• In 2009 the network was extended by 26
Km, thus adding to the 88 Km of optic fibre
available in 2008.
• Porto Digital continue to building a Optic
Fibre Network that will cover the city and
will provide not only Internet signal but
also the TDT Tv signal.
Porto Digital 9

10. 4- Porto Digital:
Support
Municipality
and Metropolitan
Area Projects
Porto Digital 10

11. Porto Digital: Support Municipality and Metropolitan Area Projects
Porto Digital supported several projects of the Municipality and of the Metropolitan Area
of Porto, such as: SAMA (simplification of the services of the City Council); Interactive
Growth (“Crescer Interactivo”, application of new technologies in public schools);
development of the websites of the City Council and “iPorto” Portal and the
implementation project of the optic fibre in the Metropolitan Area of Porto.
Projects developed by the City Council (two main areas):
E-Citizenship (modernization of the Technologies in the City Council Services)
• Web Portal of the City Council;
• Intranet;
• Executive Portal: Developed by Microsoft Portugal, the Portal allows the
dematerialization of the documents used in the City Council’s Executive
Meetings. The Portal was distinguished with Solutions for Local Public
Administration Award promoted by Microsoft International in 2008;
• Electronic Management of Documents (Docinporto3g)
• Digital Archive of Urban Projects (SIURB);
• Contact Centre.
Porto Digital 11

12. Porto Digital: Support Municipality and Metropolitan Area Projects
On-line Services
• E-Services – Application Forms
• On-line Direct Contact
• Interactive City Map
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13. Credits and references
Images
• http://www.graffletopia.com/stencils/462
Sites
• Porto Digital Association: http://www.portodigital.pt
• iPorto: http://iporto.amp.pt
• Porto City Council: http://www.cm-porto.pt
• Porto Digital Project:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/interregional/ecochange/goodpractice/2infso/citizens/pt_norte_portodigit.p
df
Download this presentation
• At: http://issuu.com/jpcapelo/docs/portodigital
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14. Thank you
João Pedro Capelo
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jpcapelo@portodigital.pt