The three-year agreement strengthens Q-Free’s leadership in interoperable tolling solutions across Southern Europe

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• Extends Q-Free’s long-term partnership with Via Verde Portugal.
• Reinforces Q-Free’s position as one of the leading DSRC OBU suppliers in Southern Europe.
• Enables cross-border interoperability in Portugal, Spain, and France.

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Q-Free, a global leader in tolling and traffic management technology, today announced that the company has been awarded a three-year, multi-million dollar/euro contract to supply 2.4 million tolling transponders to Via Verde Portugal, one of Europe’s largest providers of transponders and onboard units (OBUs). Under the agreement, Q-Free will deliver interoperable devices designed to function seamlessly across toll roads in Portugal, Spain, and France.

Portugal has a long tolling history and is where Via Verde launched the world’s first integrated, multilane free-flow electronic toll collection system. With high market penetration, Via Verde’s widely adopted dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) transponders go far beyond tolling, enabling seamless payments for parking, drive-through services, ferries, vehicle inspections, and more. Q-Free’s transponders are ideally suited for these applications, featuring a long battery life built to support high-frequency daily transactions, reliably and accurately. Having been the incumbent provider for the last three years, this new competitively bid agreement extends Q-Free’s long-term business partnership with Via Verde for another three years.

Fredrik Nordh, EVP of Tolling for Q-Free, says the agreement has been years in the making. “Portugal is a key tolling market for Q-Free, and we’ve worked hard to establish and maintain our relationship with Via Verde. This project validates that work and our success,” he said. “We are excited to extend our work together at a crucial time in the evolution of the tolling industry in Europe.”

A Winning Relationship – Trust, Reliability & Sustainability

The two companies first established their partnership more than 20 years ago. Throughout their history together, the percentage of Q-Free products returned for warranty issues has been extremely low, and Via Verde cited reliability as a factor in their decision to award this contract. They also acknowledged Q-Free’s commitment to sustainability, specifically in manufacturing and product packaging, logistics, and operations, as well as the company’s ability to potentially recycle and service transponders inside Portugal.

The Value of Collaboration

Q-Free CEO Mark Talbot says the agreement defines the company’s commitment to its clients and customers. “As a global solutions company, we’re particularly excited to expand our work with Via Verde,” he said. “We share common values and understand the importance of true collaboration. I believe our relationship could set a standard for partnerships in the future.”