Kostas Masselos: The Strategic Mind Behind Greece’s Telecom and Digital Regulation

In an era defined by rapid technological transformation and digital connectivity, the role of regulatory leadership has never been more critical. As societies embrace the promise of seamless communication, advanced networks, and digital innovation, the architects of this change are those who balance progress with responsibility, ensuring that technology serves the public good and fosters inclusive growth.​

At the forefront of Greece’s digital evolution stands Kostas Masselos, President of the Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT) – the regulator and competition authority for telecoms and posts of Greece (Until mid-February 2026). With a distinguished academic background and extensive experience in both national and European regulatory affairs, Masselos has played a pivotal role in shaping Greece’s telecommunications landscape.

Under his leadership, EETT has championed the deployment of high-capacity networks, including 5G and Fiber to the Home, while promoting regulatory frameworks that encourage investment and competition. His influence extends beyond Greece, as he has served as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), contributing to the development of policies that guide the future of digital connectivity across Europe.​

Connecting research, startups, and regulatory insight

Kostas Masselos has had a long-standing passion for research and innovation since his undergraduate studies. He pursued postgraduate education and earned a PhD before starting his career in Research and Development in the telecoms equipment manufacturing sector to stay connected with applied research. However, he soon realized that industrial research was often focused narrowly on product development, which limited opportunities to explore new ideas freely. Seeking more freedom for research and a closer relationship to innovation and startups, he transitioned to academia in 2005, beginning with a position at Imperial College London and later moving to the University of the Peloponnese in Greece. During this time, he conducted extensive research and supported early-stage startups.

By 2017, Kostas Masselos recognized that academic research, with its focus on theoretical ideas, often struggled to make an impact in industry or the market. He also felt the need to gain more exposure to the commercial aspects of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. When offered the opportunity to become President of the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT), he viewed it as a unique chance to engage with ICT from a market and policy perspective. This role allowed him to understand how technology is practically applied, leading him to the leadership position at EETT from February 2018 to February 2026, being the first in Greece to spend two (4 years) terms as President of EETT.

Greece’s independent authority for telecom and postal regulation

The Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT) is the national regulatory authority and competition commission in Greece responsible for overseeing the telecommunications and postal sectors. It provides regulation related to fixed and mobile broadband communications, digital television, spectrum management and monitoring, including satellites and Space, wireless equipment, digital services, domain names, trust services, and postal services. EETT plays a key role in ensuring the effective functioning, transparency, and development of these essential services in Greece.

Navigating complex leadership challenges

Kostas Masselos has faced distinct challenges throughout his leadership journey, especially during his time in academia and his role at EETT. While serving five years as Director and Chancellor at the University of the Peloponnese, he navigated complex decision-making processes involving diverse groups such as faculty members, students, administrative teams, government entities, and research funding organizations. In his leadership at EETT, he dealt with a broad range of stakeholders, including market participants, the government, and international institutions such as the European Commission and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

The core challenge in these roles is managing the often competing interests and demands of these varied groups. As a leader, Masselos emphasizes the importance of listening carefully and dedicating time to understanding each perspective thoroughly. At the same time, he stresses the need for timely decision-making, avoiding unnecessary delays, and ensuring that leadership responsibilities are fulfilled efficiently and effectively.

Ensuring innovation without sacrificing protection

Masselos, as the leader of an independent regulatory authority, has learned that balancing innovation, consumer protection, and fair competition requires carefully navigating complex trade-offs. One major challenge lies in managing the relationship between innovation and regulation. Regulators like Masselos must ensure that rules do not stifle innovation while also preventing any harmful effects that new technologies might have on citizens. Achieving the right balance means enabling innovation while setting necessary limits to protect people. 

Another important trade-off concerns investment and competition. Telecommunications and digital infrastructure require significant capital investment, so regulators need to create an environment that encourages investment without imposing excessive regulatory overheads. At the same time, maintaining sufficient competition is essential to drive better prices, improved service quality, and further innovations for consumers. Both investment and competition are crucial, but finding the right balance between the two remains a continuous challenge for regulators.​

Regulation as a partner in innovation

Kostas Masselos believes that a key aspect of EETT’s regulatory approach is seeing the regulator as an essential part of the innovation ecosystem. Rather than obstructing innovation, the regulator’s role is to support and enable the adoption of new technologies. Regulation itself is not the ultimate goal; it is a necessary tool to achieve important objectives such as ensuring fair competition and protecting consumers, while avoiding excessive regulatory burdens that go beyond what is needed.

Another fundamental part of his approach is transparency. Maintaining open communication with all stakeholders is vital because effective regulation depends on understanding the market. Kostas Masselos strongly supports collaborative regulation, where the regulator and other stakeholders, including consumer protection bodies and market participants, work together to achieve shared goals.​

Pioneering innovation via regulatory sandboxes

EETT supports innovation within its regulatory framework by avoiding early or excessive regulation of new technologies in their initial stages. Its approach, aligned with the guidance from the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications, involves closely monitoring emerging technologies (as it happened with 5G). This allows EETT to foresee potential issues that may need regulation later, without restricting innovation too soon.

A key part of this strategy is the use of regulatory sandboxes—controlled environments where new technologies can be tested safely before full regulation applies. This helps assess risks and benefits before broader implementation. For example, with 5G, EETT issued low-cost pilot licenses to allow operators to freely explore and test new uses. This approach supports digital transformation and the adoption of technologies like 5G, AI, and IoT, while ensuring responsible governance and consumer protection.​

EETT key telecom milestones

Connectivity in Greece at a glance:

Overall 5G coverage (end 2024): 99.8% above EU average (94.3%). In 2018, the spectrum for 5G had not been awarded, and no relevant public consultation had been carried out in Greece, and there were no pilot 5G projects.

Fiber to the Premises coverage (end of 2024): 46.1% with annual progress 20% (more than double the EU average of 8.4%). In 2018, Fiber to the Premises coverage in Greece was almost 0%.

Number of fixed subscribers with speeds 100 Mbps and above (end of 2024): 1.679 million compared to 24 thousands in 2018 (6789% growth) including 20% penetration of FTTH services (compared to 0% in 2018) while average revenue per subscriber slightly reduced by 1.7% for the same period (despite the shift to higher speed connections which are more expensive compared to lower speed connections).

In mobile broadband from 2018 to 2025 (first half), average revenue per GB has been reduced by 87%, average revenue per minute of voice has been reduced by 36%, and average revenue per SMS has been reduced by 28%.

5g spectrum auction (Dec 2020):

Enabled Greece to catch up with Europe, achieving superior coverage compared to many EU countries today.

Key points:

• Promoted long-term vision over short-term income
• Balanced approach between incentivizing investments and addressing competition
• No spectrum reserves to avoid inflated prices
• Reasonable reserve prices valuation
• Flexible payment scheme – pay as network grows model (30% of the offered price upfront, seven installments for the rest, starting three years after the auction)
• Multi-band spectrum auction – all necessary spectrum components (700 MHz, 2.1 GHz, 3.5 GHz, 26 GHz) are secured in one step.
• Long-term spectrum licenses duration
• Deployment-friendly infrastructure sharing scheme
• Upper limits on the amount of spectrum that can be allocated to a single operator 
• Reduced coverage obligations (for new entrants) and provision of nationwide roaming 
• Framework for supporting MVNOs

Regulatory framework for fixed networks (measure for wholesale local access market) (Feb 2023):

Accelerated Fiber to the Home (FTTH) deployment and penetration throughout Greece.

Key points:

• Emphasis on Physical Infrastructure Access.
• Exemption of incumbent’s FTTH retail offers from regulatory obligations until the penetration of fiber retail lines reaches 30% of the total broadband lines.
• Withdrawal of the wholesale price regulation (cost orientation) for FTTH products where adequate coverage has been achieved
• Allowing the incumbent to offer volume discounts at the wholesale level
• Copper (VDSL vectoring) network deployment is not allowed in areas that have been included in any Operator’s 3-year plan for deploying FTTH
• Introduction of a detailed and clear procedure for copper switch-off

Connecting Greece to global telecom networks and innovation

EETT participates in the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and holds a strong position in the International Institute of Communications, where Kostas Masselos has served as a board member since November 2024. The commission also engages regularly with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), OECD, and other leading bodies. EETT has formed strategic partnerships through memoranda of understanding with regulators in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both dynamic ICT markets.

Highlighting progress under Kostas Masselos’ leadership, Greece had almost no Fiber to the Home (FTTH) coverage in February 2018; today, coverage approaches 50% with a penetration rate near 20%, marking notable convergence to other EU countries. Similarly, there was no 5G deployment and even no pilot 5G projects at the start of his term, but now Greece enjoys nearly 100% 5G coverage, including rural areas, surpassing the EU average (overall and in rural areas specifically) and featuring strong availability in key spectrum bands such as the C-band (above EU average).​

The shift to smarter, software-defined networks

Kostas Masselos highlights that telecommunications is currently undergoing a significant transition. Future networks will support transformative services like autonomous vehicles, smart cities, telemedicine, and high-quality voice over IP. The focus will shift from just speed to meeting diverse quality-of-service needs such as low latency, predictability, continuity, reliability, resilience, and security.

These future networks will be software-defined to address these varied quality requirements. 

Mobile data usage is also nearing a plateau, and network traffic will increasingly come from AI, robots, drones, and AI agents rather than just video streaming. 

Telecom operators will need to provide service-level agreements focused on specific quality metrics instead of only speed or data volume. Telecommunications will move beyond consumption-driven models to generating value through advanced services for users. Regulators must adapt their approaches to support and respond to these sector changes.​

Leading with consumer rights and sustainable growth

Kostas Masselos ranks consumer rights as the top priority for Regulators, emphasizing that protecting consumers is the core duty of any regulator. Creating an investment-friendly environment also supports consumer protection by ensuring the development of high-quality telecom infrastructure and services. Competition is equally important as it leads to better prices, improved service quality, and increased innovation. Additionally, EETT’s role as Greece’s coordinator for the Digital Services Act—focusing on protecting online users, especially children—is a critical part of consumer rights.

Sustainability is another important priority, approached from three angles: environmental sustainability, by reducing energy use in telecom networks and ICT infrastructure; financial sustainability, by ensuring telecom infrastructure operates without ongoing subsidies; and socio-economic sustainability, by using digital infrastructure to benefit society and the economy—making cities smarter and safer, supporting small businesses to innovate, and helping larger companies optimize operations. 

The Regulators must also prioritize their digital transformation, focusing on optimizing internal operations and deploying advanced tools and infrastructure for critical tasks such as spectrum monitoring to fulfill its mandate effectively. As an example, Kostas Masselos has been one of the first to present his vision for Space spectrum monitoring using Low Earth Orbit satellites, and in this direction, a feasibility study is currently in progress at EETT. ​

Open letter to the future leaders of the telecommunications and digital ecosystem

Dear Future Leaders,

The role of regulators is to promote, with every means available for collaborative regulation process brought by emerging technologies, which are the driving force in bringing digital development. 

How can the regulators prepare for the coming changes, ascertain, and minimize the risks of new technologies? 

By staying open and willing to learn. By constantly re-thinking regulatory processes. By constructively interacting with the ICT industry, making sure we don’t over-regulate markets so large enterprises are willing to invest in new technologies, but on the other hand, regulate enough so the SMEs and startups are given a fair chance to succeed too. 

What regulatory, policy, and ethical frameworks should we establish – and who is best placed to develop them? 

If building a framework happens from ethical to policy to regulatory, the answer to this question can get quite philosophical as to who is best placed to do it.

I think, however, that collaborative regulation – the principle of collaborative/cross-sectional work in general- holds the key to the answer. 

Information technology and Communication technology have converged, during the last decade, to a level that is practically impossible to consider either one separately. The two of them horizontally interfere with so many sectors that it is unrealistic to think that there is actually a choice in opting for an operational model other than working collaboratively.

‘Collaborative regulation’ is about staying open to stimulus that will come from any stakeholder, no matter how distanced to the regulator in the ICT chain, a stakeholder that has a valid point on action being taken in the ICT regulatory domain that, through this chaotic system, affects his/her work.

Collaborative regulation supports the innovation, investment, socio-economic growth, and digital development in different ways for each one of them, and to a different extent.

If we – the Regulators – honestly envision smart societies and work towards making that vision a reality, we need to make sure that we integrate into these societies.

Sincerely,
Kostas Masselos
President, Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT)

Open Letter 2: The need for a unified strategy in Energy, Datacenter, and Telecommunications

Power generation from Solar Panels has probably reached its apogee. Manufacturing scaling, regulatory/installation licensing efficiency, market entry barrier elimination, and investment scalability, all in perfect combination, set solar energy to dominate power generation for mankind within the next 10-15 years.

Buying and installing solar panels is today the largest single category investment in electricity generation, with $500bn invested this year and more than 1.5GW installed each day. Combined with a healthy capacity doubling every three years track record, solar appears unstoppable, despite its highly periodic and seasonal production profile, which, together with well-established power grid bottlenecks, introduces unprecedented challenges.

In my country (Greece), for example, in the first six months of this year, more than 500 ‘green’ GWh generated in the 09.00-14.00 peak solar power production hours had to be discarded, as impossible to consume, to avoid distribution network instabilities.

At the same time, as solar power production is overdelivering, a new type of ‘data center consumer’ is entering the scene. AI and the potential society-transforming benefits of lowering the cost of access to intelligence are rebooting a nuclear power plant in the US, while fueling discussions about GW and 10GW data centers in the immediate future.

Just from a single manufacturer, whose full-2025 GPU manufacturing capacity is already booked out, 4.5-5.0 GW of AI computing hardware is expected to go online next year, and we can safely assume the year after that too, and maybe next, accumulating new power requirements, the size of whole countries, every 12 months.

Energy, and more specifically its solar component Strategy, needs to align with Compute strategy around the world. We need international collaborations, political and diplomatic, to promote consensus on the importance of solving these two problems (Solar overproduction and AI compute overconsumption) by having them cancel each other out.

I think a ‘time-zone decentralized strategy for deploying AI compute infrastructure’ needs to be part of the climate change agenda.

7 key takeaways from Kostas Masselos’ impact on Greece’s digital future

1. Driving Greece’s Telecom Transformation: Under Kostas Masselos’ leadership, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of Greece contributed significantly to Greece achieving near-universal 5G coverage and rapid Fiber to the Home expansion, bringing the country closer to European Union strategic objectives for 2030.
2. Championing Innovation through Smart Regulation: He promotes balanced regulatory policies that support new technologies like 6G, AI, and Low Earth Orbit Satellites without limiting innovation.
3. Striking the right balance between investments and competition: Masselos emphasizes that balanced regulatory action is required to create an investment-friendly environment (e.g., through regulatory simplification) to address investment challenges related to the deployment of telecoms networks, but also to address the demand side in order to make telecom networks accessible to end users (i.e., competitively priced) but also sustainable in the long run.
4. Putting Consumers First: Kostas Masselos places a strong focus on consumer rights and protection, competition to secure better prices, quality of service, and a wider range of choices for consumers, and online safety—especially for children—through frameworks like the EU Digital Services Act.
5. Building Global Collaboration: His work strengthens Greece’s role in international telecom bodies and fosters strategic partnerships with leading global regulators.
6. Shaping Future-Ready Networks: He emphasizes the shift to smarter, software-defined networks that prioritize resilience, reliability, predictability, continuity, security, and advanced digital services beyond just high-speed connectivity.
7. Future Sustainable Networks: He believes that future networks should also be sustainable from three different perspectives. Environmentally sustainable, delivering lower energy consumption. Financially sustainable without needing subsidies to run day-to-day operations and maintenance. Socio-economically sustainable. To the benefit of the societies and the economies. Sustainable by making cities smarter and safer, together with enabling small businesses to innovate and large businesses to become more efficient. Telecoms need to stop being treated as a consumption-only ‘game’ but a potentially value and revenue-generating opportunity for the majority of its users.