Press Releases

Lisbon, 15 April 2009 – Setúbal Municipal Council and Vodafone Portugal will today launch the Senior Citizens’ Network, a mobile communications pilot project aimed at providing support for the elderly in the municipality.

The Senior Citizens’ Network is designed to provide elderly people suffering from loneliness due to illness or other reasons with a better quality of life and greater hope at this difficult stage in life.

The Senior Citizens’ Network will initially include 30 elderly people identified by the municipality’s health department. Every elderly person will receive a mobile phone with a monthly balance, pre-programmed with 10 phone numbers for use in emergencies, including their local health centre, the ambulance service, police and family members, among others.

This pilot project, the call and handset costs of which are being met by Vodafone Portugal, is planned to last for 12 months. Other candidates identified by Setúbal Municipality may be included.