Sarantaporo.gr Non Profit Organization won the second place in the international competition of the IEEE organization on the subject: Connecting The Unconnected Challenge, in the category "Business Models Proof of Concept"! 226 contestants from 43 countries took part in the competition. Sarantaporo.gr Non Profit Organization was among the 27 who qualified for the final phase of the competition and who were finally awarded.
Vassilis Chryssos, Giorgos Klisiaris & Achilleas Vaitsis brought connectivity to their village, Sarantaporo in Elassona, Greece. Their community networks idea is spreading. They won 2nd Place Business Models Proof of Concept at the IEEE Connecting the Unconnected Challenge 2022. pic.twitter.com/QOFikpyeiX
— IEEE Future Networks (@IEEEFutureNtwks) November 3, 2022
Sarantaporo.gr Wireles Community Network has been operating since 2010 providing internet access to remote villages, settlements and professionals in the Sarantaporo area of Elassona. The business model, for which it was awarded by the global organization IEEE and the European Commission in 2019, is based on the active participation of local residents of the region in building a modern telecommunications infrastructure as a common good. It is an approach inspired by the local tradition of the area, when local residents for example worked together to create the common irrigation infrastructure of the community or to build the village church together.
Important elements of this approach are the transmission of knowledge, the enhancement of the skills of the members of our community and the building of a relationship of trust. We believe in the power of collective effort and active participation that sees people not as consumers, but as members of a community. We see internet access as everyone's right. Our work defends this right, while contributing to local development with actions that enhance digital literacy, the local economy and social cohesion.
ΙΕΕΕ (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) is the largest global organization of technology professionals with more than 400,000 members in various departments around the world. The main objectives of the Institute are the educational promotion and technical development of electronic and electrical engineering, telecommunications, computer science and integrated standards. It is the organization, which among other things has created the standard for the well-known to all of us WiFi.
Want to help?
If you wish to support our work you can support us with a monetary donation or by offering equipment and volunteer work to our team. Our equipment needs currently concern telecommunications equipment (routers, APs, servers) and computers or smartphones in working order for students in our area.
See here how you can make a monetary donation to our organization through a bank deposit or use the PayPal button below. For equipment offers, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
