2009 through the crystal ball
What is the New Year going to bring us here in Malta in terms of technology? It's the traditional question we endeavour to answer at this time of the year, and while some events are predictable, there's much more in store in a sector where developments...
What is the New Year going to bring us here in Malta in terms of technology? It's the traditional question we endeavour to answer at this time of the year, and while some events are predictable, there's much more in store in a sector where developments and change happen at a very rapid pace.
The first major planned event of 2009 will occur in February when Melita officially launches its mobile communication service. The launch date has already been announced and this new service will put Melita at par with Go in being a quad player, i.e. providing fixed-line telephony, mobile telephony, TV service and internet access.
While some observers still question the feasibility of having three national mobile operators and small operators in a small market like ours, competition is expected to get harsher as both Go and Melita have already positioned themselves on a clashing course with their all-encompassing communication packages.
Vodafone Malta is expected to remain a tri-player, without offering a television platform. A few weeks ago it hinted it was entering the fixed-line broadband market, a departure from the mobile and wireless brand it has sustained all these years. However the company is expected to continue to offer and invest in its WiMAX broadband wireless internet access service just the same.
Indeed Vodafone is only one out of three WiMAX licensees to launch in 2007 according its license awarded the Malta Communications Authority (MCA). The other two, Go Mobile and Cellcom, have so far failed to do so and have incurred financial penalties as a result. It is not yet clear when these two will launch their service.
In 2009 we should see another very important development in internet access, as the government is expected to start investing and testing in fiber-optic cable access directly to homes, providing a much faster broadband experience than ADSL or cable internet. This has initiative had been announced in the government's budget speech for 2009.
All these development remain at the mercy of the performance of the submarine data cables that link Malta to Sicily and the rest of the world. The incidents on Go's cable on August 6 and December 18, both caused by circumstances beyond Go's control, show how vulnerable we are and how reliant we have become on internet access.
In 2009 Melita is expected to commission its own submarine data cable, while Go's second cable, which was planned to enter service in the first weeks of 2009 had to be rushed into service in December to make up for the problems on its first cable. In the meantime this year could see Vodafone Malta decide whether it should have its second submarine cable.
The push by the European Commission for lower SMS and data roaming charges, similar to the initiative that brought down call tariffs in 2007, is expected to bear fruit during 2009.
In 2009 we should be hearing a lot about SmartCity Malta, as the first building will be constructed and the first international companies to set-up will be announced. The contract of work was awarded a few weeks before Christmas and the work has started, with the aim of hosting the first companies in the first office building in 2010.
ICT-related events this year will certainly include the Digital Arts Expo, with a change in venue and date, to be held in November. However there are still question marks on the traditional annual IT fair, which was not held last September for the first time in several years as a result of internal wrangling within the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre and low interest from potential exhibitors.
The implementation of the National ICT Strategy 2008-2010 will continue in 2009. An area where important developments are expected is education with the implementation of the strategy on e-learning which will include the launch of a national e-learning platform for primary and secondary schools.
Speaking of education, the new syllabus version 5 of the European Computer Driving License (ECDL) will become the official syllabus after the changeover period expires later on this year.
E-government, where Malta's achievements have been recognised as among the best in Europe, is expected to see further investment.
The take up of e-commerce is expected to grow as the advantages of online shopping and services become more obvious and the authorities, especially the MCA, continue to push for further adoption. However, a push for local online retailers to catch the attention of the Maltese online shoppers, who so far have preferred foreign websites, is expected.
The new Data Protection Commissioner, Joseph Ebejer, takes on his new job at the start of the year, aware of the fall-out of the so-called "Mittsgate", the hacking of e-mail accounts on the government network last September that triggered a political uproar.
This year has been a watershed year for television in Malta as for the first time the number of subscribers to digital services surpassed that of analogue subscribers. However, we have not heard anything lately about Melita's testing of high-definition channels which has been going on since 2007 nor of Go's plans in this regard. This year brings Malta closer to the December 31, 2010 deadline when all TV analogue services will be switched off in Malta. Therefore we should expect some developments where digital TV services is concerned during this year, and not just in terms of the price and content war, especially football, between Go and Melita.
On the radio side, the first trials of digital audio broadcasting (DAB) started in 2008 and these will continue this year with the official launch of the service is expected in the coming months.
In terms of gadgets and software, the Apple iPhone is expected to become more popular locally, driven by an increasing demand for mobile internet access. The Blackberry Storm, the new touchscreen model of the successful corporate mobile device is expected in Malta in the first part of 2009.
Rumour has it that Apple will be launching a new line of its iMac desktops this year, while Microsoft will continue to work hard on version 7 of Windows, the post-Vista version, and the test version is expecting in the next few months.
Readers of www.timesofmalta.com are in for some surprises as the website will continue to grow and provide new innovative offerings to internet users.
The first major planned event of 2009 will occur in February when Melita officially launches its mobile communication service. The launch date has already been announced and this new service will put Melita at par with Go in being a quad player, i.e. providing fixed-line telephony, mobile telephony, TV service and internet access.
While some observers still question the feasibility of having three national mobile operators and small operators in a small market like ours, competition is expected to get harsher as both Go and Melita have already positioned themselves on a clashing course with their all-encompassing communication packages.
Vodafone Malta is expected to remain a tri-player, without offering a television platform. A few weeks ago it hinted it was entering the fixed-line broadband market, a departure from the mobile and wireless brand it has sustained all these years. However the company is expected to continue to offer and invest in its WiMAX broadband wireless internet access service just the same.
Indeed Vodafone is only one out of three WiMAX licensees to launch in 2007 according its license awarded the Malta Communications Authority (MCA). The other two, Go Mobile and Cellcom, have so far failed to do so and have incurred financial penalties as a result. It is not yet clear when these two will launch their service.
In 2009 we should see another very important development in internet access, as the government is expected to start investing and testing in fiber-optic cable access directly to homes, providing a much faster broadband experience than ADSL or cable internet. This has initiative had been announced in the government's budget speech for 2009.
All these development remain at the mercy of the performance of the submarine data cables that link Malta to Sicily and the rest of the world. The incidents on Go's cable on August 6 and December 18, both caused by circumstances beyond Go's control, show how vulnerable we are and how reliant we have become on internet access.
In 2009 Melita is expected to commission its own submarine data cable, while Go's second cable, which was planned to enter service in the first weeks of 2009 had to be rushed into service in December to make up for the problems on its first cable. In the meantime this year could see Vodafone Malta decide whether it should have its second submarine cable.
The push by the European Commission for lower SMS and data roaming charges, similar to the initiative that brought down call tariffs in 2007, is expected to bear fruit during 2009.
In 2009 we should be hearing a lot about SmartCity Malta, as the first building will be constructed and the first international companies to set-up will be announced. The contract of work was awarded a few weeks before Christmas and the work has started, with the aim of hosting the first companies in the first office building in 2010.
ICT-related events this year will certainly include the Digital Arts Expo, with a change in venue and date, to be held in November. However there are still question marks on the traditional annual IT fair, which was not held last September for the first time in several years as a result of internal wrangling within the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre and low interest from potential exhibitors.
The implementation of the National ICT Strategy 2008-2010 will continue in 2009. An area where important developments are expected is education with the implementation of the strategy on e-learning which will include the launch of a national e-learning platform for primary and secondary schools.
Speaking of education, the new syllabus version 5 of the European Computer Driving License (ECDL) will become the official syllabus after the changeover period expires later on this year.
E-government, where Malta's achievements have been recognised as among the best in Europe, is expected to see further investment.
The take up of e-commerce is expected to grow as the advantages of online shopping and services become more obvious and the authorities, especially the MCA, continue to push for further adoption. However, a push for local online retailers to catch the attention of the Maltese online shoppers, who so far have preferred foreign websites, is expected.
The new Data Protection Commissioner, Joseph Ebejer, takes on his new job at the start of the year, aware of the fall-out of the so-called "Mittsgate", the hacking of e-mail accounts on the government network last September that triggered a political uproar.
This year has been a watershed year for television in Malta as for the first time the number of subscribers to digital services surpassed that of analogue subscribers. However, we have not heard anything lately about Melita's testing of high-definition channels which has been going on since 2007 nor of Go's plans in this regard. This year brings Malta closer to the December 31, 2010 deadline when all TV analogue services will be switched off in Malta. Therefore we should expect some developments where digital TV services is concerned during this year, and not just in terms of the price and content war, especially football, between Go and Melita.
On the radio side, the first trials of digital audio broadcasting (DAB) started in 2008 and these will continue this year with the official launch of the service is expected in the coming months.
In terms of gadgets and software, the Apple iPhone is expected to become more popular locally, driven by an increasing demand for mobile internet access. The Blackberry Storm, the new touchscreen model of the successful corporate mobile device is expected in Malta in the first part of 2009.
Rumour has it that Apple will be launching a new line of its iMac desktops this year, while Microsoft will continue to work hard on version 7 of Windows, the post-Vista version, and the test version is expecting in the next few months.
Readers of www.timesofmalta.com are in for some surprises as the website will continue to grow and provide new innovative offerings to internet users.