Internet Speed in Greece at a Snail’s Pace

Internet speeds in Greece – both at home and on mobile – are incredibly slow, as they trail the global average by six spots.

According to Speedtest Global Index, which compares international data speeds each month, Greece ranks 31st out of a total 138 countries ranked in terms of mobile data speed.

The United Arab Emirates, Norway, and South Korea sit at the first, second, and third spots, respectively, for mobile data speed. Venezuela, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan rank at the bottom of the list.

Greece fares even worse in terms of internet speeds, as it sits at the 91st spot out of a total 178 countries listed.

The countries with the fastest internet speeds are Singapore, Chile, and Thailand, with Singapore sitting at the top spot. Turkmenistan, Cuba, and Afghanistan rank the lowest in terms of internet speed.

Greece promises to increase internet speed to attract digital nomads

Internet users in Greece have long complained of slow internet speeds in the country. In November of 2021, the country promised to increase 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 Tourism Ministry will initially partner with Greek telecom company Wind to make this a reality. The cooperation will see the company offer attractive internet packages to digital nomads to facilitate their stay as they work from Greece. The Ministry intends to collaborate with other telecom companies at a later stage.

Greece is the perfect country for the post-pandemic, self-disciplined digital nomad. Blessed with a temperate climate, a high standard of living, mouth-watering food, affordability, and a laidback attitude, Greece could become a top destination for digital nomads.

In March, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis outlined a multi-billion-euro plan dubbed “Greece 2.0,” including investments in 5G networks, which Greece began rolling out in December to reinforce its attractiveness to those who can work remotely.

Yet, low internet speeds are one of the reasons that Greece has yet to attract as many digital nomads as it had hoped to do. A recent study by the European Data Journalism Network ranked Greece at the bottom in Europe in terms of average internet speed.

With an average download speed of just 29 Mbps, Greece is in last place regarding digital access throughout 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 massive internet constellation in May to help provide internet coverage to the world, in particular to those living in remote and rural areas.

To that end, company engineers designed a fleet of flat-paneled broadband satellites to fly over the Earth, beaming down internet coverage to users who can access the service via a compact user terminal.

With its launch success, SpaceX has sent nearly 1,600 Starlink satellites into orbit, including some that are no longer operational.

Starlink’s entry into the local internet market is expected to radically change the existing landscape. Outdated infrastructure and low internet speeds still plague large areas of Greece, even in the capital.