The entry of PPC into the telecommunications market changes the competitive landscape, with the existing providers, OTE, Vodafone and Nova, adapting their strategies to a more demanding environment.
The decision of the country's largest energy group to expand its activity into yet another strategic sector intensifies the reorganizations in a historically dynamic market, which is currently under the pressure of investments in new generation networks and the growing demand for faster, cheaper and more reliable digital services.
The utilization of the existing electricity infrastructure on which the new FTTH network is being built, combined with the extensive geographical presence of PPC, creates conditions for the entry of a player with comparative advantages.
At the same time, the telecommunications market is called upon to absorb the effects of a new competitive reality, in which the lines between energy, telecommunications infrastructure and digital services are becoming increasingly blurred.
In this new environment, existing telecommunications providers are adapting their strategies, redesigning commercial packages and enhancing the differentiation of their services. The aim is to maintain market shares on the one hand and to exploit the opportunities arising from market convergence and the development of new business models on the other.
These developments are gaining wider significance for the country's digital transition, as strengthening competition is expected to act as a catalyst for both improving the quality of services and putting pressure on prices, at a time when connectivity is emerging as a critical factor for economic development and social cohesion.
PPC Fiber: Enriched with voice service
Within 2026, as announced by the PPC management, under the chairman and CEO, Giorgos Stassis, the energy company will enrich PPC Fiber with a voice service. Currently, it exclusively offers internet access.
In the period 2026 – 2028, PPC's investments (capex) for the development of the FTTH network are budgeted at 420 million (as part of a total investment plan of 10 billion) with the aim of connecting (passing) 3,8 million homes and businesses (homes passed) from 1,7 million this year.
At the level of FTTH infrastructure, PPC is directly "beating" OTE, which aims to reach 3,5 million FTTH connections by 2030. It remains to be seen whether the estimates of market executives that PPC's entry into telecommunications will have a greater impact on OTE than on other providers will be confirmed.
PPC's competitive advantage is based on its ability to quickly install FTTH connections, utilizing its existing infrastructure, with an average cost per connection, according to what it has announced, of 160 euros. As a result, and always according to its management, it can provide FTTH at a particularly low price.
OTE's strategy
OTE closes the year with 2,1 million FTTH connections and is moving forward with the goal of covering 70% of the territory.
However, its strategy is not limited to fiber optic infrastructure. Having established a healthy financial picture, it is implementing one of the largest investment programs in Greek business, amounting to 600 million annually.
As OTE CEO Costas Nebis recently pointed out, the Group "has long since ceased to be simply a telecommunications provider."
It is positioned as a technology company, with its development path based on the maximum utilization of technological capabilities. Its significant competitive advantage is its participation in the global group, Telekom.
Among the strategic priorities of OTE Group is the development of the 5G Stand Alone (5G+) network. 5G SA currently covers 75% of the population and is the only commercially available network of this technology, enabling the provision of advanced services such as Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), Network Slicing.
In 2025, Cosmote Telekom launched MagentaONE, a “world” of products and services that goes beyond traditional telecommunications, including services such as food ordering, bill payments, insurance, and smart home solutions.
The latest addition to the Magenta ecosystem is Magenta AI, a platform that provides for the first time free access to a set of Artificial Intelligence tools, including Perplexity, from the world's leading AI answer engines.
It is noted that based on the most recent data from the National Telecommunications and Post Commission (2024), 96% of turnover in the telecommunications sector is concentrated in three companies: OTE with a share of 59,1%, Vodafone with 20,8% and Nova with 15,8%.
Vodafone's plans
For its part, Vodafone is strengthening its activity both in fiber optic networks and in all fixed, mobile and pay TV services. Regarding FTTH infrastructure, it aims to install 500.000 lines by the end of the year and 850.000 by 2027.
According to a recent update by the president and CEO of Vodafone Greece, Achilleas Kanaris, the answer to increasing competition is to accelerate the transition of subscribers to FTTH networks, leveraging the ability to provide combined services that include fixed and mobile telephony, internet access and pay TV.
At the same time, Vodafone is considering the acquisition of a company in the IT sector, does not rule out an agreement for the resale of energy services —as OTE and Nova have already done— and is expressing interest in projects related to the Defense sector.
Nova's plan
Accordingly, Nova, according to its CEO, George Lambrou, bases its development strategy on an investment plan with five main pillars: investments in new generation networks, strengthening ICT and IoT activities, leveraging artificial intelligence, improving customer experience and competitive prices, within the framework of the real value for money philosophy.
Nova's FTTH network is expected to close this year with approximately 830.000 connections. The company's strategy focuses on continuing investments in modern networks, further strengthening mobile telephony, developing pay TV and expanding its presence in the corporate customer sector and ICT projects, with the aim of improving profit margins and strengthening its competitive position.
Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.
