Major increase in internet speed last year
The average internet speed in Greece rose by more than a third last year, compared to 2019, according to measurements by the Hyperion system of broadband connection assessment created by the National Commission for Telecommunications and Post (EETT).
The watchdog’s study found that 2020 was the fourth consecutive year during which the download speed in Greece recorded an increase; its average speed across the country came to 27.01 megabits per second (Mbps), which was 34.83% higher than in 2019.
The improvement of internet speeds reflects the increasing usage of 50 and 100 Mbps connections, which currently account for the majority of connections Hyperion system users have. EETT notes that those packages appear to be much more cost efficient, as their nominal speed is achieved by about 55%-60%, compared to just 29% for 24 Mbps packages.
Through the Hyperion system, the regulator has for the first time attempted to analyze the average speed per administrative region, but the results only showed the overall picture, with possible differences or variations per package or smaller geographical regions. Consequently the highest and lowest average speeds are to be found in Attica and the Northern Aegean respectively.
The survey also discovered that Cosmote had the highest download and upload speeds, followed by Wind, while Vodafone and Forthnet had about the same performance, roughly at 22 Mbps and 3 Mbps respectively.
Furthermore the survey charted the impact of the imposition of the lockdowns on internet speeds. Therefore, about 10 days before the first lockdown on March 23, 2020, when teleworking and distance schooling had already begun, there was a significant drop in average download speeds, from 34 Mbps a few days earlier to 24 Mbps. However, that decline was gradually offset by the service providers, which increased their network capacity.
Taking into account the maximum decline recorded in the download speed in each lockdown period, compared with the average speed noted eight weeks before each lockdown, one finds that during the spring lockdown there was a maximum speed decline by 16.32%, while during the fall lockdown the maximum drop amounted to 20.19%.
