Broadband: Plug Into the Future

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  According to a research on broadband speeds conducted by Oxford University Said Business School and Department of Applied Economics, Oviedo University in Spain, sponsored by Cisco, Greece ranks 29th out of 66 countries investigated.  The analysis examined broadband speeds as well as demands of today’s users, based on applications consumers are likely to use.  The study found that the average global download speed was 4.75Mbps. Average download speed in Greece was measured above 5 Mbps.  According to the Observatory for the Greek Information Society, broadband penetration in Greece amounts to 15.63% (July 2009), while increase in broadband reached 40.73% over last year and 16.5% over last semester (January – July 2009).   Observatory for the Greek Information Society: Measuring the i2010 indicators study;  National Strategic Reference Framework: Operational Programmes 2007-2013- Digital Convergence & Public Administration Reform Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG): Public Sector & Education- European Markets Government of Greece (April 2009) 

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Athens: International Broadband Convergence

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis opened a two-day international conference on “Broadband Convergence in Telecommunications and Media” yesterday, organised by the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT). The aim of the conference is to highlight the significance of convergence as a means for social, economic and cultural development. Addressing the conference, the PM outlined the government’s strategy for expanding the use of broadband, citing, among others, a major project for developing new generation optical fibres, budgeted at €2.1 billion, and hundreds of smaller projects currently in progress for the spread of broadband use. EETT: Programme of the 4th International Conference on Broadband

Greece: “Fibre to the Home” Technology

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)    Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis and Transport and Communication Minister Kostas Hatzidakis discussed on July 30 the basic guidelines regarding the access of two million households and businesses to “Fibre to the Home” (FTTH) technology. FTTH is a network architecture that uses optical fibres to replace all or part of the usual copper local loop used for telecommunications. Past technologies, in order of an increasingly longer fibre loop, are fibre to the neighbourhood and to the building. The project is incorporated in the framework of the “Digital Strategy 2006-2013” and will help extend already existing digital structures and broadband network. On February 5, Hatzidakis said that Greece will invest €2.5 billion in fibre-networks, while the project will be implemented through the Public and Private Partnership. Fibre to the Home Council Europe: www.ftthcouncil.eu; see also: 3rd International Conference on Broadband Internet; Secretariat General for Information: About Brand Greece, Public and Private Partnerships in Greece 

Digital Greece: A Leap Forward

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   The European Commission has presented the results of the i2010 mid term review (April 2008). Regarding Greece, the review notes: “Strong policy commitment, notably the National Digital Strategy (2006-2013), has lead to a stable improvement of most benchmarking indicators.” However, despite this, the information society in Greece is still lagging behind in comparison to general developments in the EU. In January 2008, broadband penetration reached 9.1% after significant growth, even though this is still far below EU average. The “National Digital Strategy (2006-2013)” has set ambitious objectives to stimulate the growth of broadband markets and align Greece to the EU average by 2010. Greece has made significant advancement over the last year in fully-online availabilityand is steadily closing the gap with the EU average. These improvements have been equally balanced between services to citizens and to businesses though both remain below the EU average.  Commission of the European Communities: Country Profiles – Greece (p.25); Information Society in Greece: Digital Strategy (2006 – 2013)