Greeks pay dear for mobile services
Greece is the most expensive country in terms of cell phone services among the member-states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
OECD data revealed this week that Greek mobile phone users pay much more for their service than the average European, Turkish or Mexican consumer. Charges in Greece are two or even three times the OECD average.
The organization’s findings show that, in absolute figures, the average package for mobile phones costs 50.94 euros per month, which is second only to Japan’s 54.30 euros. However, in purchasing power parities, Greece is the most expensive country, at 67.92 euros, with Japan a distant second at 57.16 euros.
Cell phone networks argue that the aforementioned charges in Greece are the listed rates and not the actual ones: Corporate officials note that most clients receive offers with charges well below the original rates. They add point to the high taxation, which accounts for some 40 percent of the monthly bill.
Internet access via smartphones is also expensive in Greece. For instance, one network charges 0.07 euros for each megabyte used beyond the monthly allowance of the pay package, so 100 megabytes can set users back 7 euros.
