Portugal telecom regulator sees first 5G services on offer within weeks

FILE PHOTO: A woman takes pictures during the first demonstration of the technology 5G in Lisbon, Portugal June 4, 2018. Picture taken June 4, 2018. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal should see 5G services go on sale for customers within weeks after new operators bought spectrum licences in an auction, the head of ANACOM regulator said on Thursday, bolstering much-needed competition in a sector dominated by just three players.

Portugal and Lithuania are the only two European Union countries that have not yet embarked on a commercial rollout of 5G technology, which will allow for everything from self-driving cars to remote surgery.