<nettime> ORGANISMOS TELEPHONIKOON TIS HELLADOS (OTE)...

[Patrice Riemens <patrice@xs4all.nl>]

(On Greek telephone and diallup charges)
(by nettime's roving analyst)

OTE is still a state monopoly of sorts, even though it has replaced the
considerably more bureaucratic Post, Telegraph and Telephone Directorate
of old. Since its inception (beginning of the 70s?) it has done a lot to
upgrade the Greek telephone system, especially in the countryside and on
the Islands. God knows how it manages the transition to current ICT
standarts. Its tarification system has always been somewhat haphazard
(depending on the current value of the Drachma, itself a weak and
inflation-prone currency, telephone rates in Greece were either dirt-cheap
or outrageous).  In this regard, doubling of tariffs is quite a normal
procedure, as befit what economists call 'administrative prices',
especially if there had been no raise for some time (inflation in Greece
is still two-digits, and was near 30% just two years back).  Also Greece
wants to join the EMU in two years time, meaning that the Greek Government
has to make quite some 'efforts' to tidy up its budget, and that
inevitably results in squeezing the people and milking the 'telcow'... 

Telcos suck everywhere! Become your own Telco!
(and accessorily, 'periptero' means 'kiosk')
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