Greek Prime Minister has a dream. A vision on how to help young unemployed Greeks to deal with the debt crisis. With his powerful intuition to feel the pulse and read the most secret wish of jobless Greeks Antonis Samaras made a promise in public: to give the folk what belong to folk. That is, to provide all with free wi-fi access. Whether in big cities or remote villages.
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras made indeed this announcement during a rare television interview on Monday evening.
Samaras proposal came when he was asked “what hope can the government give to young people.”
The answer was indeed breathtaking.
“In one year, we will have free wi-fi all across Greece,” Samaras said and added “I have studied the issue and I can promise it with certainty.”
To strengthen his argument, Samaras mentioned all these Greek tech companies, founded by young Greeks, which have been bought by foreign investors.
Video: Samaras Mega TV
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The promise came among other issues like austerity, debt-crisis and unemployment. And as expected it sent waves of thrilling emotions to the whole nation.
Thousands of cheering jobless Greeks rushed to the streets chanting “Free Wi-Fi for all! Free Wi-Fi for all!”
Jobless mothers of jobless young Greeks knelt on the streets and kissed the asphalt.
Low-pension grannies of jobless young Greeks made the sign of the cross and thanked God for the holy inspiration He beamed to the Greek Prime Minister.
One internet-unsavy granny reportedly asked “Who is this Wi-Fi and why he should be freed.”
On Greek internet ironic and sarcastic comments were summed up in a hashtag #free_wifi.
by @mari_zonaki “Password: Samaras’ order”
KTG wonders if the password will be invalid should Samaras leave the PM’s chair…
While, I hope the free wi-fi access will not be implemented according to age and income criteria, another mean Greek wrote:
“The promise to have the whole of the country hooked up to wireless Internet by next year seemed outlandish, though. Greece still has low Internet penetration and broadband speeds so there is definitely room for improvement but going from this to full wi-fi access in one year seems a stretch and certainly does not strike at the heart of young Greeks’ concerns. These factors apart, it also gives Samaras another – very public – pledge to live up to in the months to come.” (macropolis.gr)
Can’t see why you have to be so ironic about it. It may not solve any problem due to the crisis whatsoever but it still is free internet. You can be ironic and caustic about most of what our politicians do, but not when something good is done. Grow up
at a time where people are hungry and deprived of medicine and/or health care, I think it is only just to be ironic and caustic.
Wouldn’t it be better at his very moment to supply food and medicine in some areas instead of Wi-Fi ?!
sure. Samaras’ answer to the question income has shrunk and the people were hungry was “Why Φάει;”
ha, ha maybe they can download a sandwich… just doesn’t get more ridiculous and insulting than this !!
First: there is no such thing as FREE wifi. All will pay for it through their taxes, so the state can implement this. And guess what? As expensive and bad as it looks at the moment, I am absolutely sure that as soon as the State has his hands back on the internet it will be much worse and much more expensive than it ever was.
I still can remember those old and bad days that even in, the now infamous, N. Irakleio, high speed internet was just not available, because OTE was not able or willing to bring it to that neighbourhood…. Oh, how long ago was that? 2006! And no that also ruled out going for a commercial alternative as the State company just did not put the cables into the ground.
And boy am I glad I did not have this bright idea of starting a company that provides internet. Something like Hellas On Line. They are now facing the prospect of being out of business in about 1 year, when the state re-establish a monopoly it once had… and then, for sure, will make a mess out of it and some of mr. Samaras cronies very rich.
Yeah! Let’s invest in Greece!!! Think not… *sigh*…
why so negative? we struggle for a positive mood here.