Internet speeds in Greece – both at home and on mobile – are incredibly slow, as they lag behind the global average by six points.
According to Speedtest Global Index, which compares international data speeds every month, Greece ranks 31st out of a total of 138 ranked countries in terms of mobile data speed.
The United Arab Emirates, Norway, and South Korea take first, second, and third place respectively for mobile data speed. Venezuela, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan rank at the bottom of the list.
Greece is even worse in terms of internet speed, as it ranks 91st out of a total of 178 countries listed.
The countries with the fastest internet speeds are Singapore, Chile and Thailand, with Singapore leading the way. Turkmenistan, Cuba, and Afghanistan rank lowest in terms of internet speed.
Greece promises to boost internet speeds to attract digital nomads
Greek internet users have long complained about slow internet speeds in the country. In November 2021, the country promised to boost internet speeds in a bid to attract digital nomads to Greece.
Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias announced that private companies will provide better internet connection packages.
The Ministry of Tourism will initially partner with Greek telecommunications company Wind to make this a reality. The cooperation will see the company offer attractive internet packages to digital nomads to facilitate their stay while working from Greece. The ministry intends to collaborate with other telecommunications companies in the future.
Greece is the perfect country for the post-pandemic, self-disciplined digital nomad. Blessed with a temperate climate, high standard of living, appetizing food, affordability, and laid-back attitude, Greece could become a top destination for digital nomads.
In March, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis presented a multibillion-euro plan dubbed “Greece 2.0”, including investments in 5G networks, which Greece began rolling out in December to boost its appeal to those who can work. from a distance.
Yet low internet speeds are one of the reasons Greece has yet to attract as many digital nomads as it had hoped. A recent study by the European Data Journalism Network ranked Greece last in Europe in terms of average internet speed.
With an average download speed of just 29 Mbps, Greece ranks last when it comes to digital access across the EU.
Elon Musk has also joined the effort to bring faster internet to Greece, as he plans to provide internet service to the country through his Starlink satellites.
SpaceX launched its extensive internet constellation in May to help provide internet coverage to the world, especially those living in remote and rural areas.
To this end, the company’s engineers have designed a fleet of flat-screen broadband satellites to fly over the Earth, providing Internet coverage to users who can access the service through a compact user terminal.
Building on its successful launch, SpaceX sent nearly 1,600 Starlink satellites into orbit, some of which are no longer operational.
Starlink’s entry into the local Internet market is expected to dramatically change the existing landscape. Outdated infrastructure and low internet speeds continue to plague large areas of Greece, even in the capital.
