Every public administration building in Greece is being connected to the “Syzefxis II” telecommunications network through an ambitious ICT project. The modernised infrastructure offers quality e-government services to citizens and businesses, supports administrative reform and promises to bring increased transparency to the workings of public institutions. Increasing the network’s capacity allows for the improvement of existing services and the development of new ones.
Greece’s public sector telecommunications infrastructure gets comprehensive overhaul
- 12 September 2019
The project brings together separate public telecommunications services under a common framework, a move which is expected to realise considerable cost savings through economies of scale. Before this project, only 4 435 public buildings housing about 200 000 civil servants were connected to the network. By completion of the works in 2023, around 34 000 premises will be connected, putting the Syzefxis network in reach of an additional 600 000 civil servants.
Country-wide benefits
Almost everyone in Greece benefits from the roll-out the network, starting with public sector employees and the people and businesses that they deal with. More specifically, realisation of the project gives civil servants equal access to information and use of modern IT tools, regardless of their geographic or administrative location. The comprehensive nature of the project therefore reduces the ‘digital gap’ in Greece’s public sector.
Modernising the Greek public administration with up-to-date telematics and networked services will help build trust in the country’s public sector and protect sensitive data.
Reducing costs
In addition, public sector transport costs and their related environmental impact look set to be reduced. Delivery of the network’s video-conferencing facilities means civil servant will not have to travel to as many meetings. Meanwhile, citizens can access many services through the network, reducing their need to visit the town hall and other public buildings.
Work to deliver the Syzefxis network is divided into five sub-projects covering:
infrastructure for telephony, video-conferencing, security and cablinginfrastructure for interconnecting network nodes and data centrescentral servicestelecommunication services, subdivided into eight geographically separated lots, andmobile (wireless) telecommunication services.Only the first three receive co-funding from the European Union. The others are financed from national resources.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Public Sector Network "Syzefxis II”” is EUR 173 412 666, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 134 834 661 through the “Reform of the Public Sector” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “ICT”.