Overview of NOS
NOS (Nós Comunicações) is Portugal's leading integrated telecommunications operator, headquartered in Lisbon. NOS was formed in 2014 through the merger of ZON (cable TV) and Optimus (mobile), offering mobile, fixed broadband, pay-TV, enterprise services, and IoT. NOS ranks second in the Portuguese mobile market and is highly competitive in the pay-TV and broadband markets.
Through NOS Empresas, its enterprise unit, NOS offers M2M connectivity, an IoT platform, dedicated APNs, and smart-city solutions. Portugal is an EU member, so these services can be deployed across the EU. Smart tourism, smart agriculture, and the marine economy are the local uses with the most potential.
NOS facts
- Founded: 2014 (merger of ZON and Optimus)
- Headquarters: Lisbon, Portugal
- Shareholders: Sonae, ZOPT, and others
- Mobile users: about 5 million
- Broadband users: about 1.5 million
- TV users: about 4 million
- Market share: about 35% of the Portuguese mobile market
- Radio access: 4G LTE, 5G NR, NB-IoT, LTE-M
- Annual revenue: about EUR 1.5 billion
- Listing: Euronext Lisbon: NOS
History and milestones
NOS comes from ZON (Zon Multimédia) and Optimus. ZON, founded in 1994, was a major Portuguese cable-TV and broadband operator. Optimus, founded in 1998, held Portugal's third mobile licence. The merger was proposed in 2012 and completed in 2014, creating NOS. The combined company brought mobile, broadband, and TV together and became a major converged provider in Portugal. It listed on the Lisbon stock exchange in 2015.
On IoT, NOS Empresas sells enterprise M2M and IoT services, and Portuguese smart-city projects use NOS connectivity. Agriculture, fisheries, and tourism still have strong IoT potential in Portugal. The 5G network is still being extended.
Core technical capabilities
Mobile, broadband, and TV
One operator for home and business connectivity across all three services
Fixed, mobile, and media
Fixed, mobile, and media services that cover a wide range of IoT uses
Local industries
IoT for tourism, agriculture, and the marine economy
NOS Empresas
Enterprise M2M, an IoT platform, and smart-city projects
Network standards and coverage
| Technology | Coverage | Uses | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4G LTE | Nationwide in Portugal | Primary IoT connectivity | Main network |
| 5G NR | Major cities in Portugal | High-speed IoT and industrial use | Still expanding |
| NB-IoT | Main regions of Portugal | Smart metering and sensors | In commercial service |
| LTE-M | Some areas | Mobile IoT devices | Expanding in stages |
Industry Solutions
Smart tourism
- Attraction monitoring
- Visitor services
- Hotel IoT
- Cultural heritage protection
Smart agriculture
- Vineyard monitoring
- Precision irrigation
- Livestock tracking
- Weather stations
Marine economy
- Port monitoring
- Fishery tracking
- Marine environment
- Vessel connectivity
Smart city
- Smart parking
- Public lighting
- Environmental monitoring
- Municipal facilities
Competitive advantages
- Three services: Mobile, broadband, and TV on one network
- Market position: Second-largest mobile operator in Portugal
- Local industries: IoT for tourism, agriculture, and the marine economy
- Enterprise: NOS Empresas is built around enterprise IoT
- EU: Portugal's EU membership makes cross-border deployment simpler
Support
Enterprise support
- NOS Empresas team
- IoT solution consulting
- Dedicated APN
- Multi-country roaming
Platform
- M2M connection management
- SIM lifecycle
- Usage monitoring
- API integration
Compliance and security
- GDPR compliance
- Portuguese data protection
- Secure transport
- EU standards