Greek geeks get fibre network
THE GREEK GOVERNMENT has decided that it would be a wizard wheeze to invest in a new fibre optic network that will drastically upgrade the country's broadband and cable television capabilities.
Minister George Alogoskoufis told a news conference that the government needed to invest in a modern fibre optic network that will change the daily life of Greek citizens.
It will cost €2.1 billion and take seven years to build the network. Once it is done, it will provide high-definition TV, video telephony, quicker Internet connections and other high-bandwidth services.
The network will be developed through a public-private partnership and is eligible for funding from the European Investment Bank.
Alogoskoufis said that an international tender for the network will be issued in the second half of 2009. It will involve the construction, maintenance and operation of a dark fibre network for 30 years.
Greece has fallen behind the rest of the world with its development of the internet. The problem is that many people simply do not want high-speed access. ISPs have had to slash subscription prices and improve connections just to get 12 per cent of the population online. µ
L'Inq
AP
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Understatement of the decade and i DO mean literaly When i moved to Greece in 2000 i had gotten used to ADSL and high speed internet. When i got here ppl were living in the stone-age. I actually paid 3 years for PSTN internet, then another 3 free-of-charge (only local phone costs) - try to imagine that It has only been recently that ADSL has become available and affordable. As usual this country is about 10 years behind the rest of europe.. too bad
You are wrong about greeks not wanting internet. More like the prices were very high, before the price cuts.
Greece is considered a southern country and you know what they say about the south. It's really a climate problem,nothing else.
I agree with 'me' price is the problem. To busy gouging the punter. Same reason SMS is such a big deal, voice is just to expensive. I hope Ms: Redding is successful sticking it to the service suppliers with roaming for a start. Thanks.
I used to live in Greece until 2005, and at that time broadband connections were new and 256kb to 512kb speeds were the norm. These were a huge improvement to the unbelievably expensive PSTN and ISDN plans that were the only option until then. They have really caught up fast though, now my brother who lives in a small city on an island have got unlimited 24Mbit ADSL2+ for 30 Euros a month. Compare that to Australia (where I currently live) where you have double the price, less coverage, ridiculous caps, atrocious services and contract terms, and you will see that Greece for it's size and economy has actually got great internet.
Broadband growth has being accelerating for the past 2 years in Greece. From 9,1% (end 2007), broadband penetration was 11,2% by the end of June, and above 12% by the end of August. The fact that most people did not decide to get broadband when it was expensive has really worked out well for us. About 60% of the population can get unlimited up to 24 Mbps connections for 30 euros/month from the incumbent, and about 50% of the population can get even cheapper connections thanks to local loop unbundling. I think the situation is worse off in the UK, except for those of you who can get cable.
Greece actually has been improved a lot the latest years For a Southeastern European country it has the best GDP econony in the balkan region and it is way more advanced from most countries in that area It is way more advanced from larger coutnries of the region like Turkey or Romania... Greece is doing the best as it can to be the most modern Southeastern European country and succeeds that pretty good actually
Greece is well behind Europe...particularly when it comes to telecom infrastructure and services/prices. It is only thanks to EU fundings that things are getting better on the ADSL side. I wonder what would have happened if Greece was not in the EU...