Schools nationwide to soon access latest internet connectivity speeds

Current ADSL connections used by schools will be updated to VDSL broadband technology connections by the current contractor without any additional costs to the state. In addition, schools will get even faster FTTx connections after the upcoming closure of an open tender for a new contractor of Syzefxis II, the project of the Interior ministry updating the public sector's telecom infrastructure. 

According to the ministries, the upgrade process is expected to begin immediately, benefitting some 11,400 primary and secondary schools and offering 10,000 IT workshops, while 1.37 million students and 142,000 teachers will have access to significantly faster internet speeds. 

Minister of Education Niki Kerameus said it is "of the utmost importance - a top priority for us - to ensure everyone's accessibility to quality learning tools, such as upgraded broadband internet connections at schools." The use of modern technologies in education, "on the one hand improves students' digital skills, and on the other hand it facilitates the teachers' work," while "the zero financial burden on the state proves that many reforms do not require financial resources, but proper planning and political will," Kerameus concluded.