MEO will upgrade the equipment at 189 mobile network stations in the Azores by the end of 2027. The program includes more than 600 capacity upgrades to the 4G and 5G networks, spread across the archipelago’s nine islands.
MEO currently provides fiber coverage of over 95%, 4G mobile coverage that reaches 100% of the population, and ongoing expansion of its 5G network, which increased from 85.2% to 87.7% over the past year—a rise of 2.5 percentage points.
This year, new stations began operating at Santa Maria Airport and in São João, on Pico, with four more planned for São Miguel, Santa Maria, Faial, and Flores.
"In the Azores, the capacity and robustness of communications networks are essential for bringing people, businesses, and services closer together in a region spread across nine islands. This modernization plan will strengthen the mobile network’s capacity and prepare the infrastructure to meet the connectivity needs of the population and the business community," says Ana Figueiredo, CEO of MEO.
During the visit by MEO’s Executive Committee, led by CEO Ana Figueiredo, to Ponta Delgada from October 12 to 14, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of the Azores, represented by Rector Susana Mira Leal. The agreement provides for initiatives to foster contact between MEO and the academic community through participation in job fairs, academic internships, academic projects, workshops, and lectures for Azorean students.
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Fundação MEO and the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo have also signed a memorandum of understanding to create a “Space with Meaning” within the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The “ Fundação MEO ” will provide communication support equipment, specialized furniture, and training for the hospital’s staff. The space will serve patients with disabilities or impairments who have complex communication needs. The project will be part of the National Network of “Espaços com Sentido.”
The visit also included a meeting with approximately 130 MEO employees in the Azores and participation in Connect Açores 2026, a forum organized annually by
MEO Empresas that has established itself as one of the leading forums for debate on technology, innovation, and business competitiveness in the Autonomous Region. This year’s event brought together representatives from the Azorean business, academic, and institutional communities to discuss key issues related to the digital transformation of the regional economy, with a focus on artificial intelligence applied to business, data-driven smart tourism and connectivity, cybersecurity, the operational resilience of organizations, and the challenges posed by the growing digitization of economic activity.