Greece's OTE debuts VDSL double-play data, voice package

OTE, Greece's incumbent service provider, on Tuesday became the latest telco to begin offering a VDSL-based broadband service.

Offering download speeds of up to 50 Mbps, the service provider has added four new VDSL-based service packages to its Conn-x broadband product line.

The telco is offering two 30 Mbps connection packages—one for €36.90 ($47.72) and a second for €40.90 ($52.88) for the first six months. Similarly, the two 50 Mbps packages are priced at €46.90 ($60.64) and €50.90 ($65.81), respectively, for the same period.

All of these broadband data packages include unlimited calls to wireline phones in addition to the option to bundle calls to wireless devices.

OTE has grand plans for VDSL.

Zacharias Piperidis, OTE's CEO, said its "investments in VDSL will continue so that gradually it will be available everywhere." The telco plans to offer the service to both its own subscribers and other competitive providers that would sell the service to their customers.

While the new service will be likely embraced by consumers and even businesses that want higher broadband speeds, launching the product came amidst a large degree of regulatory uncertainty from Greece's telecom regulator, Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT).

In March 2011, OTE had to delay its VDSL service launch in March 2011 while the regulator developed a framework for regulating VDSL and Fiber to the X last mile access. Then in December 2011, the EETT approved wholesale rates for VDSL, but did not address wholesale access tariffs.

This October, OTE said in a European Communications article that the EETT's delays not only held it back from submitting other projects for approval, but also "its inaction has frozen investments from a firm which is willing to fund a major infrastructure project."

OTE joins a growing list of European operators, including most recently Belgacom, Cable & Wireless, and Deutsche Telekom, that are finding utility in extending their respective copper pairs by leveraging VDSL2 and emerging copper techniques, including vectoring.

For more:
- TeleGeography has this article

Special report: Bonding telcos' love affair with copper through VDSL2

Related articles:
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Telekom Austria's A1 squeezes more out of its copper lines with vectoring
Türk Telecom selects Alcatel-Lucent for VDSL2-based FTTB deployment
Belgacom to deliver 50 Mbps over copper via Alcatel-Lucent's VDSL2 vectoring gear