The implementation of OTE Group’s investment plan, which will cover 2/3 of the country with Fiber To The Home (FTTH) by 2027, the need to stimulate the penetration of this infrastructure in households and businesses, the course of mobile and the image of the telecommunications industry in Europe were underlined by Yiannis Konstantinidis, Chief Strategy, Transformation and Provider Officer of OTE Group, at the 26th “Infocom World” Conference.
Regarding the coverage of the country with FTTH, Konstantinidis stated that OTE Group is relentlessly implementing the roll-out of its investment plan, to reach 3 million lines by 2027.
“We estimate that by the end of the year we will have covered over 1.7 million households and businesses, which corresponds to a coverage rate of 36% in our entire market. If this rate includes the roll-out of other providers, we will reach a total coverage of 2.3 million lines, i.e. approximately 48% in the entire country,” he noted.
The high coverage rate, Konstantinidis emphasized, is an important indication that the gap with the rest of Europe in this field is gradually being bridged: “We are adding 10-12 percentage points every year and we have reached the halfway point. At this rate, within the next three years we will have covered 80% of the country. Therefore, the policy of covering the fiber optic network has been launched.”
Konstantinidis also pointed out that the OTE Group’s investment plan includes the “Ultra-Fast Broadband Infrastructure” project, which will bring 1Gbps speeds to semi-urban and rural areas of the country. As he said, this is a very important project for bridging the digital gap between large urban centers and the countryside, as “broadband concerns everyone.”
Speaking about demand, the Head of Strategy of OTE Group noted that although Greece is not yet at the desired levels, the demand for FTTH is moving upwards, and is expected to be stimulated further. He indicated as key stimulating factors, among others, the upcoming Gigabit Voucher announced by the State, the abolition of the fixed line tax for FTTH services, as well as the agreement between telecommunications providers for discounts on wholesale FTTH prices.
