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« on: May 17 2011 07:18am » |
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ADSL broadband coverage of Cyprus is expected to reach 100% within 2011, Minister of Communications and Works Erato Kozakou Marcoullis said today in a message on the occasion of tomorrow’s International Day of Telecommunication and Information Society.
The Minister noted that the EU aim, to grant all Member States internet access with a minimum of 2 Mbps by the end of 2013, will thus be covered in Cyprus two years earlier.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) need to be introduced to all economic and social domains, in order to achieve the goal of a knowledge-based society, the Minister went on.
Therefore, Marcoullis added, all citizens need to have the possibility of using ICT, whether they live in urban or rural areas. She added that thereby, citizens would enjoy better services, without being subjected to social or economic discriminations.
Moreover, Marcoullis said that broadband coverage of the whole of Cyprus’ territory is considered as a prerequisite for ICT to help improve productivity at work, promote competition, facilitate business development, and contribute in education, health, tourism and trade. These factors, she noted, lead potentially to a thriving Cypriot economy in general and the revitalization of the island’s rural areas in particular.
Moreover, she said that the Ministry of Communications and Works, in an effort to support rural areas, has provided broadband internet access to all 151 communities of Cyprus, which by 2009 had no such connection. This project, she noted, was concluded in the early months of 2010, adding that a WiFi service and the necessary equipment is provided in all communities free of charge.
Finally, Marcoullis noted in her message that the digital strategy of the Cyprus government aims at developing the goals of Information Society island-wide, in order to facilitate citizens in accessing high quality services and acquire the necessary digital skills.
Source: Financial Mirror
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