The fourth Priority Axis of the OPIS relates to the national infrastructure of telecommunications which forms the backbone of the IS. Its development will ensure the speed, friendliness, and economy of storing, transmitting and processing digital information, facilitating in this way the development of a variety of products and services that characterize the IS in total.

Contents

Description – Objectives

Financial Particulars

Description – Objectives

The scope is to develop an environment of extended offer of advanced telecommunication and audiovisual services at a low cost.

The necessary infrastructure in distant and remote areas will be ensured not only by means of the appropriate regulatory arrangements accompanying the competition in a free market but also by promoting the demand for telecommunications services in these areas through the reinforcement of supplementary access infrastructures.

These infrastructures will provide broadband access to public buildings and will be available for use by individuals and companies.

In general, the actions of this Priority Axis must be applied within an environment of full deregulation of the telecommunications market, encouragement of competition and observance of unrestricted tendering procedures.

Special emphasis is put on the provision of improved services, lower prices and more broadband activity by introducing higher competition in the local access networks. The scope is to provide telecommunications infrastructures in relation to road infrastructures.

Our country, as all EU member-states, must integrate in the national institutional framework the community directives on the deregulation of the telecommunications market.

With the aim to create the appropriate conditions for the provision of quality advanced telecommunications and postal services, at a low cost, within a framework of full deregulation, the general objectives of the 4th Priority Axis are as follows:

• Integration and infrastructures for the enforcement of the institutional framework on deregulation and competition reinforcement.
• Development of the telecommunication and postal infrastructure for the provision of advanced telecommunications services, especially at a regional/ local level.
• Training of human resources on the use of new technologies and utilization in the new environment these technologies form.

Financial Particulars

TOTAL COST	495.84 Μ Euros
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE	342.53 Μ Euros
EU PARTICIPATION	256.90 Μ Euros
ERDF	251.20 Μ Euros
ESF	5.7  Μ Euros
NATIONAL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION	85.63 Μ Euros
PRIVATE PARTICIPATION	153.31 Μ Euros