The European Commission has approved an 80 million euro voucher programme to promote the use of high-speed internet in Greece.
The report assesses five criteria: internet accessibility, internet quality, e-infrastructure, security and e-government. According to the 2022 index, Greece has dropped
one position compared to 2021
ranking 39th out of 117 countries worldwide, and 29th out of 38 European countries surveyed. This is because, out of the five criteria assessed by Surfshark, Greece improved its position only in one, related to digital governance.
In accordance with the rules of state aid EUThe “Gigabit Voucher Scheme” (“Σχέδιο Voucher Gigabit”) aims to distribution of broadband services. From the beginning of September, the Ministry of Digital Management will be ready to offer a new “Gigabit Voucher” — subsidy for ultra-high-speed fiber optics.
The application will be submitted using Taxisnet codes and the beneficiaries will be individuals, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises.
The criteria have not yet been clarified, as the amount has only just been approved by the EU. The programme will be partly financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) and aims to help beneficiaries connect to broadband services that offer download speeds of at least 250 Mbps or symmetrical speeds of at least 100 Mbps.
Assistance will be provided through vouchers that will cover up to 50% of eligible costs, with a maximum of €200 per voucher, and the programme will last for 24 months.
As Athens News reported earlier, Greece has the slowest internet in Europe, despite significant investments made in recent years. Internet services remain among the most expensive in relation to people's incomesaccording to the cyber company's annual Digital Quality of Life Report Surfshark.
The report also shows that an internet user in Greece must work around 12 minutes each month to buy 1GB of data for their mobile phone, six times more than needed in Bulgaria and 149 times more than needed in Israel, the country with the lowest charges, which also tops this year's index.
Breaking down each criterion, the financial ability to pay for internet service essentially measures whether payments are cheap for citizens’ incomes. This is Greece’s Achilles heel, as it is where it performs worst, ranking 67th compared to 61st last year. This is because this year, to buy 1GB of mobile data, Greek users will have to work 6 seconds longer than last year. The cost of connecting to a fixed internet connection is also high. To pay for the cheapest connection, Greeks have to work three hours and 46 minutes each month, which is 12 times more than households in Israel, where it is enough to work 19 minutes per month.
Internet quality is mainly measured by speed: Greece ranks 55th out of 117 countries, with poor performance attributed to fixed internet speeds. When it comes to mobile internet speeds, Greece ranks 20th with 97.5 Mbps. In contrast, internet speeds at home average 40.4 Mbps, putting Greece in 84th place.
According to Surfshark, fixed internet speeds in Greece are half those in Bulgaria, while mobile internet speeds are 36% slower. In terms of internet security, Greece remains number one, according to the report, which seems like a subtle mockery given the recent scandals involving wiretapping of the opposition and claims that the secret services are wiretapping at least 15,000 people.
In e-governance, the country ranks 55th, up from 59th last year, with improvements due to the willingness of government and businesses to use artificial intelligence. In this sub-criterion, Greece has moved up ten places to 48th, up from 58th in last year's report.
The report also shows that an internet user in Greece must work around 12 minutes each month to buy 1GB of data for their mobile phone, six times more than needed in Bulgaria and 149 times more than needed in Israel, the country with the lowest charges, which also tops this year's index.
Breaking down each criterion, the financial ability to pay for internet service essentially measures whether payments are cheap for citizens’ incomes. This is Greece’s Achilles heel, as it is where it performs worst, ranking 67th compared to 61st last year. This is because this year, to buy 1GB of mobile data, Greek users will have to work 6 seconds longer than last year. The cost of connecting to a fixed internet connection is also high. To pay for the cheapest connection, Greeks have to work three hours and 46 minutes each month, which is 12 times more than households in Israel, where it is enough to work 19 minutes per month.
Internet quality is mainly measured by speed: Greece ranks 55th out of 117 countries, with poor performance attributed to fixed internet speeds. When it comes to mobile internet speeds, Greece ranks 20th with 97.5 Mbps. In contrast, internet speeds at home average 40.4 Mbps, putting Greece in 84th place.
According to Surfshark, fixed internet speeds in Greece are half those in Bulgaria, while mobile internet speeds are 36% slower. In terms of internet security, Greece remains number one, according to the report, which seems like a subtle mockery given the recent scandals involving wiretapping of the opposition and claims that the secret services are wiretapping at least 15,000 people.
In e-governance, the country ranks 55th, up from 59th last year, with improvements due to the willingness of government and businesses to use artificial intelligence. In this sub-criterion, Greece has moved up ten places to 48th, up from 58th in last year's report.
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