The Hellenic Telecommunications and Posts Commission (EETT) is called upon to take a decision on whether to give telecommunication providers the chance to restructure their pricing policy in the current contracts with consumers.
However, in essence, the final decision will be taken by the government, most likely by the prime minister himself, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to whom the telecommunications providers have made their request since 2022.
It is a difficult decision to be taken amid consumer complaints about soaring prices, especially on food prices.
It is a fact, however, that the cost of telecommunications companies, during the energy crisis, increased significantly, with company executives pointing out that this is one of the few sectors not entitled to price changes.
The Hellenic Telecommunications and Posts Commission examined similar practices in other European countries, in which price changes were linked to the consumer price index. Such a mechanism operates in countries such as Austria, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal, while a relevant provision also exists in France and Spain.
Telecom operators pointed out that inflationary pressures in various areas of operating costs (OPEX) and capital costs (CAPEX) in the years 2021 and 2022 put at risk the planned development of critical mobile network expansion (5G) and next-generation (FTTH) infrastructure.
Among other things, the cost of network powering, fixed network nodes, co-installations, data centers, as well as the providers’ office buildings, increased by 21%-43%, the cost of supplying fixed end-user equipment by 19%, while interest and borrowing costs by 13%.
