With a broad majority the Greek Parliament approved on Tuesday the bill on digital governance and 5th Generation broadband frequency spectrum (5G). The bill passed with 275 votes in a Parliament of 300 seats.
Addressing the plenary, Digital Governance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis noted that the auction of the 5th Generation broadband frequency spectrum (5G) will take place within the next few days, well within the projected time frame before year’s end.
The minister stressed that Greece “is one of the few countries, if not the only one, that did not stall the auction for the 5G spectrum due to the pandemic.”
New Democracy, Syriza, Movement for Change and MeRA25 all voted in favor of the bill, while the Greek Communist Party and Greek Solution voted against it.
Fifth-generation wireless broadband networks and services (5G) will reach a large portion of the Greek population in 2021, Minister Pierrakakis said presenting the bill to the Parliament committee last week.
He added that population coverage by 5G networks is projected to reach 60% in three years and 94% in six years.
He noted that changes may not be so apparent to those who have 5th generation mobile phones, but will be to anyone who will benefit from new applications that will be developed by companies and universities, such as tele-medicine consultation services on the islands, transportation and more.
A 25% of state earnings by the ongoing auctioning of the 5G frequency spectrum will go towards supporting start-ups, he added.
Regarding the radiation levels of 5G antennas, he said that Greece not only complies with international rules, but has set the domestic radiation em mission levels at 70% of the international maximum.
Included and approved along with the bill were also other amendments, such as the Labor Ministry’s clause for extraordinary temporary measures for remote work and the de-congestion of public transport, both part of measures to limit the spread of coronavirus.
