K. Masselos (EET): The gov.gr milestone for Greece | News about the Economy
Greece, since the start of the pandemic, has taken many rapid steps in digital services to citizens, he emphasized from Riga, speaking to APE-MPE in its context. “5G Techritory Forum”, its president National Telecommunications and Postal Commission (EETT) and Vice-President of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) Konstantinos Masselos. In particular, he characterized gov.gr as a milestone for Greece, noting that our country has gained very important ground in this field.
Mapping the digital strategy of Greece, the president of the National Committee of Telecommunications and Posts said that it is the one that the Ministry of Digital Governance has drawn up since 2021 with the Digital Bible, which is structured in 7 main directions: connectivity (secure, fast and reliable) . on the internet for all), the development of the digital skills of all citizens, the facilitation of the conversion of every Greek business into a digital business, the support and strengthening of digital innovation, the introduction of modern IT and communication technologies in all areas of the economy, productive leveraging public sector data and better digital services for citizens.
As far as their part is concerned network infrastructures, the president of EETT prioritized as a big bet for Greece, to make the transition from the traditional copper access network to fiber optic networks that reach the end subscriber (FTTH). According to Europe’s connectivity goals, all users must have access to a 1 gigabit per second connection by 2030. Reflecting on the ground Greece has covered, K. Masselos said that in 2018 Greece in the eyes of of fibers reaching the final consumer “was almost zero”, while in 2021, with the latest data from the Commission, there is a coverage of the total number of households that has exceeded 20%. However, he acknowledged that “we are very low in the penetration of fiber optic access networks to the final consumer which at the end of 2021 was below 3% of all households”, attributing the main reason for this situation to the prices of these services.
When is it estimated that will Greece have full coverage in optical fiber networks?
The European Commission has set a deadline for a full transition to access networks capable of 1 Gbps speeds by 2030, with K. Masselos not saying he’s entirely happy with Greece doing with the target.
Regarding mobile connectivity, he said that Greece went ahead with the 5G spectrum auction in December 2020. He noted that 5G networks are in development and there is significant coverage, but pointed out that it is an area that needs to be heavily invested. In particular, he identified as a bet for 5G, the transition to the “stand alone” implementation of the development of the appropriate base stations which will allow the utilization of all the possibilities of the 5G technology. For 5G, the issue is not only the possibility of higher speed wireless connection, but the utilization of 5G in different sectors of the economy.
Outlining the current situation at a level, K. Masselos spoke of the convergence of electronic communication network infrastructures with digital platforms. In particular, he described the European strategy for the digital transition, the European Digital Decade 2030 (European Digital Decade), which is based on the Commission’s Digital Compass, aiming to cover the entire range of digital technologies (material) . , software, data, digital platforms). “It also sets goals for the adoption of digital technologies (cloud services, artificial intelligence), but at the same time also for networks, because they are the basis, the platform on which the digital transformation is created and all other technologies are developed” if. In this context, he pointed out that he is dealing with the whole spectrum, from networks to the level of services, digital platforms, could, artificial intelligence, underlining that Europe aims to achieve through this process and its digital autonomy. . That is, it is not independent in key technologies, such as data centers, semiconductors and cyber security. Examples in this direction are the construction of the European supercomputer, one of the most powerful in the world, the creation of high-end integrated circuits such as Europe’s first low-power microprocessor.
Further on 5G, he proposed the need to look at 5G in terms of its environmental and energy footprint, aiming to optimize energy consumption. In terms of power consumption in 5G, smaller and denser base stations are required, which can operate with lower power consumption and possibly powered by renewable energy sources.
Afterwards, he highlighted the impact that the use of 5G technology can have on society’s everyday life. “It’s not just the next generation of mobile communications technology. 5G does not only enable us to download visual material faster or watch higher video resolutions on our mobile phone,” he said, and for a clearer understanding of the importance of 5G he contrasted its difference with 4G. “5G is different from 4G because it can bring changes in areas of the economy, such as using it in an industry to be able to operate an autonomous robot and be much more efficient in its operations and consume less energy. 5G is not just for the consumer.”
Where does Greece stand on 5G and fiber to the home networks?
In 5G, Greece is very high in Europe in terms of spectrum allocation, while in coverage with optical fiber networks it is below average, having, however, a very high growth rate. He explained that due to its morphology (islands, inaccessible mountainous areas) the cost of developing networks in Greece is high.
However, there is not only the network infrastructure part, but also digital infrastructure such as data centers. Asked about the investments of the digital giants in Greece, the National Commission for Telecommunications and Posts described it as very positive for our country to attract investments in these sectors and underlined that this is something that should continue to be pursued, with the aim of becoming a hub of international products active in the fields of digital technologies. In particular, he mentioned the creation of new jobs and the possible strengthening of research in the specific fields, as next to the Greek universities there are international companies active in the respective fields. In the same direction is the agreement for the construction of a data transfer cable from Europe to Asia, via Greece and Saudi Arabia. As K. Masselos pointed out, infrastructures such as submarine cables are of great importance for the transfer of data which are the driving force of the modern digital economy.
How do network infrastructures influence the attraction of digital nomads?
Fiber optic infrastructure and 5G are a prerequisite for attracting digital nomads, he added that the more the spread of fiber optic and 5G networks in Greece, the more attractive it is for digital nomads.
Read more
The demand for listed properties is on the rise – They are sold at prices up to more than €5 million.
The branded hammers that will hit by the end of the year (pics)