From today, those interested can apply for the “Gigabit Voucher” at gigabit-voucher.gov.gr, in order to obtain a super-high-speed connection. It is an important action that is implemented in the context of the cooperation of the Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou and the Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance, Nikos Papathanasis, and enables more than 379 thousand households and small- and medium-sized businesses to acquire speed connections of at least 250 MBPs.
The “Gigabit Voucher” is a development project with a total budget of 80 million euros (including VAT) and is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund with resources of 23 million euros and by the Public Investment program with more than 57 million. euro.
Combined with the “Smart Readiness Vouchers” program for the installation of optical fiber in 120,000 buildings, the aim is to strengthen broadband throughout the country and improve Greece‘s position in the international ranking, as reflected in the European Commission’s annual report for the “Digital Decade”.
Beneficiaries will receive, without income criteria, a voucher worth 200 euros to cover part of the cost of acquiring a Gigabit service (at least 250 GBPs) and more specifically the cost corresponding to the initial connection, as well as the monthly price for the first 24 months of the subscription .
These are households and small- and medium-sized businesses that do not already have a broadband connection with a nominal download speed of more than 100 Mbps and reside or have their head office / branch respectively in the Program intervention areas. The grant is given only once to each beneficiary, while they may not be supported by any other source, national or European.
The steps for issuing and redeeming the voucher
To issue and redeem the “Gigabit Voucher”, interested parties:
- They check the map on the Program website to find out if they can get Gigabit services based on their home or business address. They type in the address to find out if they are covered by the providers’ networks in order to apply.
- They select ‘Submit Application’ and log in with their Taxisnet codes to start the submission process.
- Next, they indicate whether they are interested in receiving a voucher for an existing or new connection. They then fill in the additional information required and finally accept the terms and conditions of the Program to complete the voucher issuance process.
- Those interested receive the voucher to the email address as well as by SMS to the phone number they have indicated in their application.
- They then contact the provider from whom they wish to receive the Gigabit service, quoting the voucher number they issued.
It is pointed out that the providers will post their offered services informatively on the Program platform and must meet the following conditions:
- Have either a download speed greater than or equal to 250 Mbps or a symmetrical speed greater than or equal to 100 Mbps. The above minimum speeds should be available to the beneficiaries during peak hours.
- To include the terminal equipment of the end user (modem / router) necessary for its operation
- To provide a discount at least equal to the amount of the Voucher in relation to the corresponding programs (with the same characteristics of speed and included by-products) that were offered during the period before the announcement of the Program.
It is recalled that the availability of Gigabit Connectivity Vouchers will take place in four phases, which are related to building connections through the “Smart Readiness” program. The first phase will be completed with the distribution of 200,000 Gigabit connectivity tokens, during which 60,000 Smart Readiness building connections must be completed.
The “Gigabit Voucher” program is implemented by the Information Society (KtP M.A.E.), a body of the Ministry of Digital Governance.
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The coming years. By fostering greater connectivity, we aim to stimulate economic growth and innovation throughout the country.
Guest 1: Hello there! Thank you for having me. The “Gigabit Voucher” program seems quite exciting. Can you tell me more about the rationale behind this initiative?
Guest 2: Absolutely! The purpose of the ”Gigabit Voucher” program is to bridge the digital divide and provide high-speed internet access to those households and businesses that currently don’t have it. We believe this will not only improve their quality of life but also contribute to the economic development of the country. The program is funded through a combination of the Recovery and Resilience Fund and the Public Investment program, indicating the government’s commitment to this cause.
Guest 1: That’s interesting. How do you plan on ensuring that the program reaches its intended beneficiaries?
Guest 2: The program is targeted at households and businesses located in specific intervention areas. Beneficiaries can check if they’re eligible by entering their address on the program website. Once approved, they can apply for the voucher and redeem it with any of the participating providers offering services that meet the minimum speed and equipment requirements. We anticipate that this process will be fairly straightforward and user-friendly.
Guest 1: What kind of response has the program received so far? Have there been any issues or challenges that you’ve encountered?
Guest 2: The response has been positive so far, with over 200,000 households and businesses applying for the voucher in the first phase. However, there were some initial challenges with the Taxisnet authentication system, which has since been resolved. Additionally, we’re working on expanding the number of participating providers to offer more choices to beneficiaries.
Guest 1: That’s good to hear. What is your long-term vision for the “Gigabit Voucher” program?
Guest 2: Our ultimate goal is to improve Greece’s position in the international ranking for broadband connectivity as outlined in the European Commission’s “Digital Decade” report. We believe that reliable and affordable high-speed internet access is essential in today’s digital age, and we hope to see more households and businesses benefit from this program in
