- Greek Prime Minister and Minister of State and Digital Governance, the first to use live 5G
- Prime Minister met in Athens with Deutsche Telekom Group CEO, Tim Höttges, Deutsche Telekom Board member Europe, Dominique Leroy and OTE Group CEO, Michael Tsamaz
- Commercial launch of the COSMOTE 5G network in Athens, Thessaloniki and other Greek cities, with speeds exceeding 1Gbps in specific areas
- Population coverage over 50% by the end of 2021 and 100% 5G coverage of highways until 2023
COSMOTE is the first to bring the future of telecommunications to Greece, with the commercial launch of its 5G network in Athens, Thessaloniki and other Greek cities. In certain areas, the maximum network speeds exceed 1Gbps. Pioneering once again, COSMOTE evolves the largest mobile network in Greece, to be the first to offer its subscribers 5th generation services, creating new prospects for the country’s digital development.
The first video call via 5G network in the country took place at Maximos Mansion, between the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Minister of State and Digital Governance Kyriakos Pierrakakis, during their meeting with the CEO of Deutsche Telekom Group, Tim Höttges, the Head of Deutsche Telekom for Europe, Dominique Leroy and the Chairman & CEO of OTE Group, Michael Tsamaz. The Senior Vice President Group Public and Regulatory Affairs of Deutsche Telekom, Wolfgang Kopf and the OTE Group General Counsel - Chief Legal & Regulatory Affairs Officer Eirini Nikolaidi also attended the meeting through video conference.
Mobile speedtests were also performed on the spot, with COSMOTE 5G reaching speeds of 1Gbps.
As stressed at the meeting, OTE Group firmly supports the country’s digitalization and growth efforts, creating state-of-the-art technological infrastructure and implementing complex ICT projects. The Group’s commitment to a four-year investment plan of 2 billion euros, mainly for 5G and FTTH networks, was reiterated. Mr. Höttges congratulated the Greek PM for the country’s effective response to the pandemic crisis, the acceleration of public sector’s digital transformation, and the country’s digital strategy as described in the "Bible of Digital Transformation". In this context, Mrs Leroy informed about the intention of COSMOTE to cover the country’s highways with 5G connectivity, a total of 2,000 km of the country’s highways with 5G connectivity, until the end of 2023, as a prerequisite for the implementation of the “Connected highways” project. Part of the "Bible of Digital Transformation", the construction of "5G Corridors" will significantly benefit to the export/import industry by allowing the automated movement of trucks from and to ports and airports, and thus positively influencing overall economic growth.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated: “The topic of today’s meeting is not only of substantial content, but I strongly believe that is of a great symbolic meaning, because even though it is considered as a step towards the country’s ‘digital tomorrow’, it takes place exactly one day following the completion of the frequencies auction for 5G networks. In this way, the State, businesses and citizens, gain access to new possibilities that only high technology is eligible to provide. Our wish is to transform Greece into a destination, where people will be able to work and retire. And connectivity plays a pivotal role in this plan”.
Regarding COSMOTE 5G Mr. Höttges stated: "With the commercial launch of COSMOTE 5G, Greece becomes one of the few countries in the world that have a 5th generation network. In the coming years, innovative applications utilizing 5G will change many sectors of the economy, as we know them today. Our investment in Greece is of strategic importance to us. There are significant growth prospects and it can be an important technology hub. We strongly support the vision for the country’s digital transformation through our investments in new generation networks and modern technological infrastructure ".
“In the future 5G will become the backbone of the society and the economy, creating opportunities in many sectors, such as health, manufacturing or logistics. As a concrete example from logistics, 5G will facilitate the implementation of Trans-European Transport Networks, which will allow the automated movement of trucks across the highways of the EU. Overall, 5G launch in Greece by COSMOTE will contribute to the country becoming more digital and increase the competitiveness of Europe in the global market”, stated Mrs. Dominique Leroy.
OTE Group Chairman and CEO, Mr. Michael Tsamaz, stated: “5G, the future of telecommunications, is here and COSMOTE is the first to launch it in Greece. With the 5G network we are making a huge leap towards the Gigabit Society. COSMOTE 5G will be constantly expanding and improving, while the new spectrum will help us to "unfold" its unlimited possibilities. We are evolving Greece’s largest mobile network today, so that, tomorrow, citizens and businesses can do more than they had ever imagined. Through technology and innovation, we create a better world for all."
COSMOTE 5G network
The COSMOTE 5G network is accessible to all COSMOTE subscribers, residential and business, without extra charge and regardless of their mobile plan (prepaid, post-paid, cost control). The only prerequisite is to have a 5G device certified in the COSMOTE network. At the moment, such devices include Apple iPhone 12 mini, Apple iPhone 12, Apple iPhone 12 Pro, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, Xiaomi Mi10T Pro, Xiaomi Mi10T, Xiaomi Mi10T Lite, Xiaomi Mi10 Pro, Xiaomi Mi10. In collaboration with the largest manufacturers, more and more devices will be certified, thus providing access to COSMOTE 5G. The list of the certified 5G devices is available at www.cosmote.gr/5G
For the commercial launch of COSMOTE 5G, COSMOTE utilizes the capabilities of the 5G equipment installed on its network in cooperation with Ericsson. 5G base stations at 3.5GHz have been licensed and activated (with the already available spectrum), allowing ultra-high speeds that reach or exceed 1Gbps in selected parts of Athens, Thessaloniki and other cities. At the same time, the technologically neutral band also used by COSMOTE 4G, contributes to the larger population coverage of COSMOTE 5G.
COSMOTE 5G will soon expand to more areas throughout Greece, while mobile Internet speeds and network latency will gradually improve. The population coverage is expected to exceed 50% by the end of 2021. COSMOTE has already signed agreements with foreign networks to provide its customers with 5G roaming services in selected E.U. countries. 5G roaming availability will constantly expand. The 5G network’s full potential will unravel with the integration of the new spectrum allocated to COSMOTE through the auction that was carried out by the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT).
5G technology
5G is not just the next generation of wireless technology. It initiates an era of extremely high speeds and unlimited possibilities. It is one of the fastest and most reliable technologies known today and in the future will radically change the way we live, work and entertain ourselves, as it is designed to meet the ever-increasing technological demands with features that no other technology had until today. In its full development, 5G will enable the provision and management of new interactive and smart services on all connected devices in almost real time. It can serve up to 1,000,000 devices per square kilometer and it offers maximum speeds of up to 10Gbps. The latency (network response time) will be as low as 1 millisecond, with 99.999% reliability. 5G will become a lever for the growth of the global economy, with applications in various sectors such as the industry, health, transportation, smart cities, education, entertainment and more.
More information available at www.cosmote.gr/5G
