As regards the right of mobile operators to interconnect directly with foreign networks, Portugal claims that the international tariffs of the fixed voice-telephony service of Portugal Telecom are still out of line with costs. If this right was to be implemented without delay, Portugal Telecom would have either to lower sharply its international tariffs (impact estimated at Esc 9,652 billion in 1997) or lose - according to estimates - 15 % of its international fixed traffic to the benefit of the mobile operators (i.e. Esc 8,104 billion in 1997).
