Sarantaporo.gr and Grid Telecom renew their partnership to strengthen broadband connectivity in remote and rural areas of the Greek countryside.
Strengthening broadband connectivity in remote and rural communities
Sarantaporo.gr Non-Profit Organization, is pleased to announce the renewal of its partnership with Grid Telecom, the telecommunications subsidiary of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO).
Launched two years ago, this strategic partnership has played a pivotal role in enhancing the connectivity and digital capabilities of the Sarantaporo.gr Wireless Community Network in the greater Sarantaporo-Elassona region through the use of Grid Telecom's optical fiber infrastructure.
The partnership is implemented as part of Grid Telecom's sponsorship of Sarantaporo.gr and forms part of the IPTO Group's social responsibility initiatives aimed at strengthening local communities and bridging the digital divide.
Within this framework, Grid Telecom provides, free of charge, backbone capacity services connecting the Sarantaporo.gr network to the nearest Data Center hosting the Greek Research and Technology Network (GRNET), one of Greece's leading public technology organizations, with which Sarantaporo.gr collaborates.
The initiative directly benefits residents of the villages of Sarantaporo, Livadi, Milea, Farmaki, Tsapournia, Dolichi, Pythio, Kokkinogi, Lofos, Kokkinopilos, Mikro Eleftherochori and Flampouro, as well as the Olympus Special Forces Training Center (KEOAX), in addition to numerous agricultural and livestock farms located outside the villages where the Sarantaporo.gr network provides connectivity.
The renewed partnership ensures the long-term sustainability and continued growth of the Sarantaporo.gr network—one of Europe's most recognized examples of community-owned telecommunications infrastructure. The network has been designed, deployed, maintained and continuously developed by Sarantaporo.gr together with members of the local communities it serves, with the goal of providing equal access to modern digital services for everyone.
Fifteen Years of Serving Local Communities
Since 2010, Sarantaporo.gr has operated as a volunteer-driven citizens' initiative dedicated to improving Internet access and reducing the digital divide across rural Greece.
Built around open knowledge, shared telecommunications infrastructure and active citizen participation, the organization has imlemented a community-driven broadband model based on collaboration, volunteerism and social innovation.
At the same time, Sarantaporo.gr delivers digital skills training, supports local entrepreneurship and fosters collaboration among citizens, research organizations, universities and public institutions.
Its work has received international recognition as an example of social and technological innovation, earning awards and distinctions from the European Commission, IEEE, the Internet Society and other international organizations. Today, the Sarantaporo.gr Wireless Community Network is recognized as one of the world's leading examples of community networking, demonstrating that community-owned networks can provide effective, sustainable and socially beneficial solutions for the digital development of remote and rural areas.
A Partnership with Measurable Impact and New Opportunities
Thanks to the interconnection of the community network with GRNET through Grid Telecom's optical fiber infrastructure, the network has reached a new level of reliability and performance.
The results are clear and measurable:
- A tenfold increase in Internet backbone capacity, from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps.
- More than a 700% increase in average communication speeds between network nodes.
- A significant reduction in network latency, substantially improving the overall user experience.
Today, more than 5,500 unique users rely on the community network every year. Schools, community health centers, public spaces, businesses, agricultural and livestock enterprises, as well as thousands of residents and visitors, depend daily on Sarantaporo.gr's infrastructure for reliable Internet access, remote work, education, digital public services and communications.
The renewal of the partnership with Grid Telecom not only ensures the uninterrupted operation of the community network but also lays the foundation for new services and initiatives benefiting local communities. It further demonstrates that collaboration between civil society, public institutions and private organizations can produce sustainable solutions with tangible social and developmental impact.
A New Level of Connectivity
Two years after the beginning of our partnership with Grid Telecom, the results for the Sarantaporo.gr Wireless Community Network are now clearly visible, measurable and socially significant.
Through the interconnection of our network with GRNET using Grid Telecom's optical infrastructure, we achieved a tenfold increase in our Internet backbone capacity, dramatically improved user connection speeds and significantly reduced network latency, substantially enhancing the quality and reliability of the digital services we provide to remote communities across rural Greece.
For us, this partnership goes far beyond a technical upgrade. It is a living example of how volunteerism and social entrepreneurship can serve as a bridge for innovation and collaboration with organizations managing critical national infrastructure.
It demonstrates that when civil society, local communities, public institutions and businesses work together around a shared vision, they can create sustainable solutions with genuine social and economic impact.
Renewing our partnership with Grid Telecom gives us confidence for the future and reinforces our belief that open, participatory and community-driven infrastructure models can not only coexist with the market but also pave the way towards a more inclusive and resilient digital future for everyone.
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Kleisiaris Georgios,
Founder & Board Member at Sarantaporo.gr Non Profit Organization
Public Benefit Meets Modern Technology
Meeting the Sarantaporo.gr team made me realize that behind such an important technological initiative are, first and foremost, people with passion, expertise and a deep commitment to their local community. Their voluntary contribution of time and knowledge is an inspiring example of how connectivity and modern technologies can create real value for people and communities.
George Psyrris,
Executive Director at Grid Telecom
Get Involved
The Sarantaporo.gr network continues to grow thanks to the participation of citizens, volunteers, organizations and institutions that believe access to digital infrastructure is a social good.
If you would like to learn more about our work, support our initiatives or explore opportunities for collaboration, we would be delighted to hear from you. Together, we can bring better connectivity, greater opportunities and stronger digital resilience to rural communities across Greece.
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