The first Greek Digital City is being developed under the responsibility of the Municipality of Trikala, with funding from the Greek Information Society Strategy. The e-Trikala initiative aims to improve everyday life by simplifying public transactions, reducing telecommunication costs, delivering new electronic services, and offering new methods to enable citizens to participate in policy-making. The Digital City model consists in four layers:
- Infrastructure: hardware and software necessary to make the Digital City operational (such as broadband networks, public terminals, etc.).
- Applications: e-government services.
- Back-office: all public authorities and organisations that produce and deliver information and electronic public services to end-users.
- End-users: citizens, groups of citizens, and businesses.
Within this model – which is adaptable to the local characteristics and needs of any given city – the e-Trikala project includes a number of individual ICT projects, which are either being implemented or still at the design stage. Projects currently being undertaken under the first phase include the following:
- Promotion of Broadband Use: existing cable networks are being upgraded, and special events will be organised to present broadband-based applications targeted to specific groups (e.g. lawyers, students, etc.). In addition, a 30 km fibre-optic Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) will be installed in the city area, linking 40 public authorities’ buildings. The MAN will be connected to the Internet and to Syzefxis, the Greek National Network of Public Administration. The network will be the basic infrastructure hosting all digital public services of the e-Trikala project, while also minimising telecommunication costs for public authorities. A supplementary wireless broadband network has been designed along the same concept, to extend broadband telecommunication over the wider region of Trikala prefecture, linking buildings that host public authorities. The broadband infrastructure should be completed by the end of 2005, and the wireless network may be extended to citizens and businesses at a later stage.
- E-government services for citizens: five large municipalities will offer e-government services both via an Internet portal and by telephone. This project should be completed before the end of 2005.
- Intelligent transport: several systems will be developed, providing users with useful real-time information regarding, among other things, arrivals and departures of buses and available parking spaces. Services will be delivered via screens installed at bus stations, a web portal, and Radio Data Systems (RDS).
- Tele-Care Centre: staffed with specialised personnel, the centre will offer remote support to the elderly, the disabled, and people suffering from chronic diseases. Users will be able to communicate with the centre from their homes via videophone equipment, but also from anywhere via portable devices. During the first phase of operation, the Tele-Care centre will support about 100 citizens, but will gradually expand to cover all citizens that need care. This project is also expected to be completed in 2005.
In addition, a number of projects are currently in the design phase, including ICT training courses for civil servants, an electronic marketplace for local businesses, GIS networks for public safety agencies, e-training for the unemployed, a common ERP system for public agencies, a tele-work initiative, and funding to assist SMEs with the implementation of ICT.
The ultimate goal of the Digital City of Trikala is to create an integrated electronic environment for citizens and businesses, paying particular attention to issues such as user-friendliness, security, and privacy. Beyond the installation of ICT infrastructures and delivery of e-services, the digital city initiative seeks to foster the active participation of citizens, businesses and public authorities in the transition to the Information Society.
Further information:
- Article by Leo Anthopoulos, responsible for the e-Trikala project (published by Government Technology)
Quelle: IDABC, 15.03.2005
