The Ministry of Infrastructure estimates that the first 4,000 hotspots for free Wi-Fi will be ready in mid 2015, according to PM Antonis Samaras’ older promises.

The project totaling 15 million has been applied for by four companies:

OTE (Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation)
TELESTO: Information and Communication Technologies
COSMOS BUSINESS SYSTEMS
ZTE HELLAS
INTRACOM

The electronic tendering will take place on Thursday the 23rd of October while “After the evaluation of the offers that were submitted the companies which will be chosen will be called upon to sign an agreement with the General Secretariat of Telecommunications and Postal Services and afterwards to participate in efforts for concluding contracts for implementing the project”.

According to the ministry “This is the biggest effort, internationally, on a coverage area basis and its practice is going to be an example for the European Union”.

The cost of procurement and installation is included in the 15 million euros as well as the software management, security services and network maintenance and operating costs by the end of October 2015.