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Cyprus first EU state with full 5G coverage

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Cyprus is the first EU state to report full 5G population coverage, even in remote mountainous areas, boasted the telecoms authority Cyta.

Cyta’s announcement came after its 5G network reached the village of Sykopetra in the mountainous region of Pitsilia, which was the final stop to achieving 100% coverage.

Talking at a small ceremony at the village of Sykopetra, Research, Innovation & Digital Policy deputy minister Kyriacos Kokkinos acknowledged Cyta’s key role in the country’s digital transition.

“The immediate availability of networks and services in every corner of Cyprus contributes to enhancing the country and its people’s digital maturity, and by extension shielding the resilience of its economy”.

Commissioner for mountain areas Kostas Champiaouris said he was pleased with Cyta’s 5G network reaching remote communities, offering ‘cutting-edge’ technologies.

“Cyta is one of the key pillars in the efforts to create a basic development policy for mountain areas, which concerns the promotion of digital transition, the effective creation of infrastructures and the development of services, modernising mountainous areas and improving technological accessibility for residents and businesses,” said Champiaouris.

Cyta’s chair Michalis Ioannides boasted of his authority’s achievement in employing a 100% 5G network before any other EU state.

Cyta CEO Andreas Neocleous said nobody should be left on the sidelines.

“Technology and its benefits can now be accessed all over Cyprus, even in its most remote areas”.

In earlier comments to the Financial Mirror, the Commissioner for Communications, George Michaelides, had welcomed developments on the 5G front, noting the network could significantly upgrade living standards in remote areas.

But he noted the lack of applications to help Cyprus make the most of the network.

“For Cyprus to reap the fruit of having 5G, we will need to see applications on the ground that facilitate remote learning and telemedicine.

“We want to see applications that will allow healthcare professionals to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients in remote areas such as Pyrgos and Polis Chrysochous.”

He wants to see people living in remote areas not travel for several hours to reach a hospital for a basic check-up.