Papastergiou: New plan for ‘White Area’ free television signal coverage

The digital governance ministry has drawn up a new and more comprehensive plan to help free television signals reach the so-called “White Areas” in remote and border regions of Greece, ensuring that 98% of residents of such areas will be able to enjoy free television programmes, Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou noted in statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency on Sunday.

He said that relay stations will be installed to distribute the television signal via satellite or via ground signals.

“Outlying areas may lie geographically at the edge of the country but in fact occupy the centre of our attention, as is repeatedly stressed to be a government priority by the prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, himself. We are interested in improving the daily life, capabilities and opportunities for citizens far from the capital and the large urban centres. As the digital governance ministry, we are coming with a renewed planning for television coverage of the ‘White Areas’ to ensure that the citizens of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, of the North and South Aegean, have access to the free reception television stations. With the installation of antenna systems we will succeed in covering the population of these regions by 98%. We aim for the equal participation of the citizens in communication and information, and in reducing the digital gap between regions of the country. Also, by implementing this action we are giving a significant boost to the communications sector with new opportunities, for the development of local communities also, obviously,” he stated.

The first areas selected for the new project are Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, the North and South Aegean, with the first relay stations installed after a technical study on the optimal placement has been completed.