ADSL charges rise to boost VDSL
The telecoms regulator is increasing charges for conventional ADSL internet connections and reducing those that rely on optical fibers (VDSL and FTTx) in an effort to persuade web users in Greece to move toward the latter.
That is the main takeaway from the new wholesale price model for 2019 that the National Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) put up for public consultation on Tuesday. It provides for a price hike from 7.05 euros per month to 7.42 euros/month for ADSL connections, and proposes a further rise up to 8 euros/month in the coming years.
On the other hand, the wholesale charges for fiber-optic connections are showing a clear downward trend. Reductions are even greater for ultra-high-speed fiber connections of 100 to 200 megabits per second. The model proposed on Tuesday also provides for wholesale charges for connections of 300 and 500 Mbps and 1 gigabit per second (Gbps). Such connections are not currently available in the market but are under development by service suppliers and are estimated to become available from 2020 onward.
EETT charge regulations may only concern wholesale charges, but it is certain that the hikes for the bulk of connections – i.e., conventional ones – will be passed on to end users.
