Program for smart buildings
The technological infrastructure of 120,000 buildings across the country will get an upgrade through the Smart Readiness program, which will offer subsidies of 148.4 million euros and its guide is expected to be published by the end of the month.
A key pillar of the Ministry of Digital Governance program is the installation of the required cabling for the laying of fiberoptics, with the aim of further availability and penetration of ultra-high speed broadband networks. However, a necessary condition for the financing of most, if not all, of the fiberoptic works is that they must be combined with the creation of infrastructure that will enable the installation of smart electricity and natural gas meters. The average cost to upgrade, for example, a four-story apartment block into a smart building is put at €1,000.
“The contribution of Smart Readiness is particularly important for the strengthening of ultra-high-speed broadband infrastructures, where Greece still lags behind other EU member-states. In this direction, we aim for the action to be published in the immediate future – the goal is the end of the month,” explains Dimitris Giantsis, the general director of the General Directorate of Information Society Projects, which will implement the program.
So how will this work? The administrator or owner of a building will proceed to select the technical company to undertake the implementation of the relevant works, through the register of installers. The latter, on behalf of the beneficiaries, will proceed to submit the application to secure the voucher, which will be approved if the criteria are met.
The telecommunications service providers will declare the coverage points, that is, where the fiberoptic cables are already being laid or will be laid by 2026, so that the information system of the program is updated. In other words, as long as fiberoptic cables are present or about to be installed in a district, it is possible to finance the works carried out inside a building for the installation of a fiberoptic network, in order to ensure the provision of vary fast internet to all apartments, through the Smart Readiness program.
