QUOTE
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Tuesday chaired an Inner Cabinet meeting that focused on the country's digital and broadband strategy.
Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis, who earlier had a one-on-one meeting with Karamanlis, told reporters afterwards that major strides had been made in the country's digital strategy and in expanding the broadband network, the penetration of which was expected to jump to 7 percent by the end of 2007 from 0.1 percent in 2004.
"Fast internet is important for both society and the economy," Alogoskoufis said, stressing that significant investments have been made in that sector.
Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas, in turn, noted that the strategy for digital convergence with the rest of western Europe was proceeding according to plan, adding that two important programmes were being implemented by his ministry, in which 52,000 companies were already taking part.
Sioufas further said a joint programme by the education, transport & communications and development ministries for fast and inexpensive Internet for university students was progressing at a rapid pace, with 29,800 applications having been submitted by the end of 2006, of which 17,700 accounts have been activated.
The rate of submission of relevant applications by students has reached approximately 150 per day, Sioufas added, stressing the importance of speedy Internet for the knowledge society.
Transport and Communications minister Mihalis Liapis stressed significant progress has been made in the sector, stressing that the gap that existed with other European countries needed to be bridged.
Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos said that under the Information Society programme, commitments today reached 690 million euros, up from 1.2 million euros when the present government took over from its predecessor, adding that not a single euro will be lost out of the 904 million earmarked for Greece under the EU's 3rd Community Support Framework (CSF).
Electronic governance was also important for combating bureaucracy and for transparency in public administration, Pavlopoulos continued, while at the same time the citizens will be able to carry out transactions with public services online.
Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis, who earlier had a one-on-one meeting with Karamanlis, told reporters afterwards that major strides had been made in the country's digital strategy and in expanding the broadband network, the penetration of which was expected to jump to 7 percent by the end of 2007 from 0.1 percent in 2004.
"Fast internet is important for both society and the economy," Alogoskoufis said, stressing that significant investments have been made in that sector.
Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas, in turn, noted that the strategy for digital convergence with the rest of western Europe was proceeding according to plan, adding that two important programmes were being implemented by his ministry, in which 52,000 companies were already taking part.
Sioufas further said a joint programme by the education, transport & communications and development ministries for fast and inexpensive Internet for university students was progressing at a rapid pace, with 29,800 applications having been submitted by the end of 2006, of which 17,700 accounts have been activated.
The rate of submission of relevant applications by students has reached approximately 150 per day, Sioufas added, stressing the importance of speedy Internet for the knowledge society.
Transport and Communications minister Mihalis Liapis stressed significant progress has been made in the sector, stressing that the gap that existed with other European countries needed to be bridged.
Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos said that under the Information Society programme, commitments today reached 690 million euros, up from 1.2 million euros when the present government took over from its predecessor, adding that not a single euro will be lost out of the 904 million earmarked for Greece under the EU's 3rd Community Support Framework (CSF).
Electronic governance was also important for combating bureaucracy and for transparency in public administration, Pavlopoulos continued, while at the same time the citizens will be able to carry out transactions with public services online.