The Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) published today the results of the Public Consultation on the "Establishment of Action Plans for Emergency Conditions in Telecommunications" at its website.
 
ΕΕΤΤ held this Consultation in the context of implementing its regulatory, supervisory, and audit competences in the telecommunications area.
 
As “Emergency Conditions” defined the circumstances (e.g. natural or industrial disasters) during which a telecommunications network fails to meet users’ communication needs and provide them with the agreed quality of services.
 
The Consultation held between June 6th and July 29th, 2005, aimed at recording the viewpoints of interested parties with regards to the elaboration of an action plan for Telecommunications in order to restore communication as soon as possible, under emergency conditions. Emphasis had been placed on the need to take preventive measures and coordinate actions as well as inform and serve consumers.
 
The following 7 providers participated in the Consultation:
•         COSMOTE
•         ΟΤΕ
•         ΟΤΕ-Net
•         Q-TELECOM 
•         TELLAS
•         TIM Hellas
•         VODAFONE
 
The principal conclusions are:
•      All participants pointed out the need for cooperation and coordination of competent state authorities and agencies to face telecommunications emergencies. In this context, the majority considered necessary for the project to be included in the “XENOKRATIS” General Plan for Civil Protection (general Civil Protection Plan aiming at the adoption of all kinds of measures to efficiently face disasters and provide any possible assistance to affected population) and undergo further development in order to make part of a Single National Plan to be coordinated by a Public Authority.
•      Participants suggested that main concepts such as ”T elecommunications Emergency” be redefined and asked for issues, such as failures in their networks, to be kept out of the Action Plans since they consider that such issues come under their exclusive responsibility.
•      The vast majority were of the opinion that to the extent that the planning of the project generates new costs for companies, provision must be made for a funding possibility to prevent the plans from impairing the development of the telecommunications area.
•      The majority agreed with the setup of a Crisis Management Team (CMT) and underlined that its main role should be to constantly cooperate and generate a communication node between the State and the providers.
        
It is pointed out that the results of this Public Consultation have been communicated to the Secretariat General for Civil Protection.
 
The full text of the Consultation results is available at EETT’s website (www.eett.gr, News- Announcements section).