2020 Cyprus Country Report

Telecoms & Satellite Communications
Sector Profile
ment the country’s efficient fibre-optic connections
and provide integrated solutions for a reliable
worldwide 24/7 connection.
A key player in the fibre-optic cable and satellite
networks is Cytaglobal, which is a semiautonomous
Strategic Business Unit under stateowned
operator Cyta and specialises in providing
global electronic communication products and
services. Through its global network, Cytaglobal
also provides a wide range of international telecommunications
products. In 2020, the company
announced its Makarios Teleport was certified
and ranked as Tier 4 – the highest degree of excellence
– by the World Teleport Association
(WTA). The Cyprus teleport site is one of only
16 fully certified teleports worldwide to achieve
a Tier 4 certification, and distinguishes it from
other teleports in the Eastern Mediterranean
region.
Another major player in satellite services is
Greek-Cypriot consortium Hellas Sat, which
was formed in 2001. This agreement helped put
Cyprus on the global satellite map and was an
important step in strengthening the country’s position
as a successful regional satellite communications
centre. In 2019, the company successfully
launched its third satellite, Hellas Sat 4, into orbit.
The launch started a new chapter in the space
history of Cyprus and Greece with its mission to
provide innovative satellite services and expand
the operations of Hellas Sat in Europe, the Middle
East and Africa – which will bring further geopolitical,
technological and commercial benefits to
both countries.
The new satellite will extend capacity and
geographical reach to meet the growing demand
for applications that include video, internet and
mobile phone services, maritime connectivity,
cellular backhaul, corporate networks and government
services. It is also the most advanced
commercial communications satellite ever built
by Lockheed Martin.
Cyprus has been gaining ground in the field of
space-tech services and has so far granted 10 licences
to organisations to launch telecommunication
satellites using space that Cyprus has secured
through the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU). The number of licences is substantial,
as many countries in the world have issued
only one license. The country’s economic benefit
from these services is expected to multiply as
more satellites are launched. This type of activity
also boosts the prestige of Cyprus as a country
engaged in space technology services, and its
strategic advantages are increasingly promoted in
a bid to attract infrastructure to Cyprus from the
European Space Agency.
The growing sector has also inspired new
endeavours on the academic front, such as the
Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence (ECoE),
created by the Cyprus University of Technology
in 2018, to conduct research into space technologies.
Its Excelsior project is motivated by the big
European space programmes like Galileo and
Copernicus and their downstream effects on
European economy and science. The project’s
vision is to establish the ECoE as a world-class
Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) for earth observation
and geospatial information in the next few
years and becoming the reference centre in the
Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and North
Africa (EMMENA).
INVESTING IN DIGITAL
Cyprus has already successfully capitalised on
its location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and
Africa on many economic fronts, and can continue
to strengthen its role as a convenient regional
communications base of strategic importance.
Developing digital policies that attract further
investment are absolutely crucial in opening new
avenues to take advantage of the numerous economic
opportunities provided by the dynamic
digital era.
Global demand for bandwidth is accelerating,
with the rise in cloud computing, data transfer
and storage, as well as the Internet of Things
(IoT). Data centre IP traffic is also growing as
more companies begin utilising data centres
to cut costs and streamline workflows. This in
turn will increase the demand on networks to
ensure seamless and secure transfers between
data centres and business locations. Privacy and
security are the buzz words of the day with these
developments and Cyprus will have to ramp up
its efforts to meet these demands. With its infrastructure
the country is well-placed to boost its
competitiveness and realise its vision of a digital
future if it stays on track and keeps up with the
rapid evolution of the global communication and
tech industry.
According to the European Commission,
if the proposed measures to roll out 5G across
Europe are implemented by 2020-2025, the EU
could gain an estimated €113 billion every year,
creating up to 2.4 million new jobs. This would
also allow Cyprus to use all the available 2021-
2027 funding tools to resolve main issues in its
digital transformation – such as ultrafast coverage
and take-up, high pricing and low digital literacy.
The combined use of digital technologies with
other emerging technologies will certainly bring
new and innovative business models, generating
competitiveness, jobs and growth for Cyprus. n
Discover more at www.cyprusprofile.com
Digital Boost
from Coronavirus
Pandemic
Cyprus has taken a large
number of targeted digital
measures to deal with the
Covid-19 crisis. Initiatives to
minimise contagion and to
support e-health solutions
for patients and healthcare
service providers include
among others a dedicated call
centre (1420), interactive voice
response and text messaging
for any movement of citizens.
Cyprus also launched a data
register for tracking confirmed
Covid-19 cases (Covid-19
platform), a location tracker
of citizens/suspected cases
(COVTRACKER) and a platform
illustrating the spread of the
virus (WEBGIS Covid-19).
In the area of education,
various online activities were
developed to facilitate the
provision of the best possible
education to students of all
levels. Supportive educational
materials have been uploaded
to the Ministry of Education and
Culture and individual school
webpages, for all students
of all grades. Digitisation of
the public administration
is also being accelerated,
enabling citizens to use their
e-banking credentials to
engage with e-government
services. Teleworking has
also been promoted for civil
servants through the use of
services supporting remote
access and teleconferencing.
Key Players
Cyta
Cytaglobal
Epic
Cablenet
PrimeTel
Hellas Sat
134 Country Report CYPRUS 2020