Summary

“White areas” are areas of Europe that are identified as having no current internet infrastructure. They are usually remote, mountainous, island or peripheral regions and they are facing negative impacts upon local business activity and social well-being of a broadening digital divide. In order to specifically target these sparsely populated areas of Greece, The Rural Broadband project focuses on the development of access networks, the installation of the backhauling networks that connect local access networks with regional concentration points, as well as concentration/termination points in locations where multiple network operators (retail ISPs) have already established their presence.

The project promoters are the private company Information Society S.A. and the General Secretariat for Telecommunications and Post (GSTP) of the Greek Ministry of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media.

Results

The project developed a broadband infrastructure network that covers rural white areas located in the northern, central and southern regions of Greece, including 17 Prefectures of Southern Greece.

It covered almost 45% of the Greek territory in terms of geographical coverage.

It provided connectivity to 5.077 villages/settlements in mountainous and insular rural areas, populated by approximately 525 287 residents.

16.000 households have now been connected to a broadband high capacity network in former rural white areas.