PM receives first Melita mobile call
Melita Mobile, a new operator that is promising to slash call rates by up to 30 per cent, will start operating this morning after it was formally launched yesterday.
"We're here to challenge Malta's reputation as the country with the highest mobile call rates," Melita chief operations officer Stephen Wright told a news conference.
Mr Wright promised to "rock the market" with cheaper prices. Melita invested €40 million to build a mobile network across the island.
The first phone call was received by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who was initially unsure which answer button to press on the new Nokia phone Melita gave him. He was soon talking to one of the company's workers who wanted to ensure the system was up and running.
Dr Gonzi highlighted the importance of competition, which unlocks the potential of innovation in an economy: "The competitive operators for fixed, mobile and broadband services demonstrate every day that competition is the key to investment, innovation and growth."
He said the penetration rate of mobile telephony had reached 93.2 per cent, an increase of more than 20 per cent in subscriptions over the past five years. Employment in telecommunications also increased by six per cent in the past year.
Speaking about the recruitment drive that followed Melita's investment, Dr Gonzi said this was even more significant, considering the uncertain international economic climate.
"The inauguration of this investment is a beacon of hope in a world dominated by a global crisis and recessionary fears," he said.
Dr Gonzi said that consumers were the real winners of competition, but the choice had to be real and consumers had to be protected.
"Consumers need to be properly informed as well as empowered to make the most of competition. The effectiveness of the regulator is crucial to support competition," he said, adding that the Malta Communications Authority had been critical in setting the right conditions for competition.
Authority executive chairman Philip Micallef said there were 100,000 mobile subscribers in 2000, before there was competition in the market, but these have increased four-fold and now stand at more than 400,000.
The new mobile provider is offering four types of packages, including pre-paid plans with no time window on the use of bought credit. Monthly tariff plans start from €15 and the subscription fee can be used against any mobile service.
Mr Wright announced that consumers who switch to Melita Mobile this month will receive a free month of mobile usage to all numbers, a free 3G mobile phone and free credit when topping up.
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I C Moore
Feb 2nd 2009, 11:12
Ms Magro
try to compare a 20 second call and you will understand. With Melita it would be 22c while with Voda/Go it's 16c. For the Maths sake, it's 38% higher with Melita !!!
charles bajada
Feb 2nd 2009, 07:44
Great to have Melita - finally. I will not rush to make my switch, I am waiting to see how GO and Voda react. I did visit their branches and they are well located and just look and feel great and I am inclined to say Melita are serious! Melita is giving a great new feeling to the market - let's hope this will also happen in their customer care!
A Coppini
Feb 1st 2009, 22:27
@All 3G haters:
3G does not offer the same coverage as 2G, but this only means that to achieve the same coverage, more base stations are required. GO and Voda simply could not be bothered to deploy more base stations since they have their existing 2G network to cover the low-usage (ie. no data) areas. My understanding is that it is in Melita's interests to ensure complete 3G coverage everywhere. This to me can only be a Good Thing, since it means proper 3G speeds can be expected everywhere, unlike Voda/GO.
@John Mallia
this would be expected, especially if you live in a very rural or very densely populated area (eg. Sliema/Valletta). As I said, I'm sure Melita would not want to lose your custom... give them some time, the network is not even 1 day old! After all,even Vodafone's 10+ year old 2G network still has coverage black spots sometimes!
@Everyone
does anyone know what their data rates are? no info on the brochure or their website (although it is officially down).
Suzanne Magro
Feb 1st 2009, 18:59
How is Vodafone 0.16c/30 seconds less than 0.22c/min from melita.... get a calculator... !!
And even with their 1st minute.... for 22c.... it's worth staying on the line...longer and longer...
John Mallia
Feb 1st 2009, 18:34
Got my service this morning from Melita....yes i got a good deal on pre-paid - but i'm not impressed with the coverage - no reception at all where i live....that means no service at all....Melita please note
I. C. Moore
Feb 1st 2009, 18:20
@ Michael Gatt
I experienced 3g not only "read" and can assure you that 3g can be a nightmare insides. But perhaps you may share some of your wisdom on 3g and explain to the readers about the power consumption of phones using 3g protocol, the call drops experienced by other 3g operators, and finally provide us the coverage Melita has of 3g around the Maltese islands?
I am not saying that 3g is worse than 2g, but being dependent on 3g only, i.e. without the backing of 2g such as in the case of Go and Voda, is a NO NO for me, considering that 99% of the mobile usage is for call and SMS usage
Michael gatt
Feb 1st 2009, 17:21
@IC Moore
I don't know about you but I've read tonnes of reviews on 3g and I was pleased to hear about the new technology built for Melita by Ericsson...
I got myself a Melita connection this morning; got cheaper mobile calls rates; same rates for video calls and a great FREE 3G phone...
thank god for new competition!!!
I. C. Moore
Feb 1st 2009, 16:31
Calls are in fact higher than Voda or Go !!!! Everyone knows that most of the mobile calls are of less than 30 sec duration. With Melita mobile you are charged for a whole minute i.e. 22c for such a call while on Voda or Go you are charged 16c. SAME OLD GIMMICKS FROM MELITA - ALWAYS TRYING TO TAKE THE CUSTOMER FOR A RIDE !!!
Furthermore 3g does not have coverage as 2g so, failed calls while inside (i.e. most of the time) might be a norm for those who subscribe to Melita
Jeffrey Mallia
Feb 1st 2009, 13:48
Phoning the prime minister to ensure the system is up and running !! What a cheap advertising gimmick.Why didn't they phone Barak Obama to check the roaming system ?
Michela Attard
Feb 1st 2009, 12:45
U ejja..... why all these bitter comments?
We should all be rejoicing that finally we can save some money on mobile bills....and this elimination of time windows is great news indeed.
Glorianne Farrugia
Feb 1st 2009, 12:17
I just came back from melita outlet ...got myself a snazzy new phone.... and can,t wait to get connected. i quizzed the sales man and i scrutinized their terms and conditions...and when all boils down...you do save a lot!! you have to wait to get served at the moment because the word is spreading.
Karl Fenech
Feb 1st 2009, 12:09
Credit crunch?? is this country going mad? ... just went to mass and passed by a Melita shop in Naxxar...it's like they're giving stuff for free.
Long live liberalisation and if the prices are anything like i've heard this morning, it might definitely be worth switching operator. This is reminding me of 9 years ago when GO had launched their mobile service after years of Vodafone "occupation"... Both mobile operators kept squeezing thier customers till yesterday morning...now they're got competition. long may it last cos the consumer will benefit
Jake Farrugia
Feb 1st 2009, 11:46
Some comments are so technical that only some GO engineer could understand. I went shopping this morning and past by a Melita outlet, seems to me like the real people like their offering as there were queues till outside the shops.
Keith Mifsud
Feb 1st 2009, 10:43
I augur that Melita will bring a breath of fresh air in the local market. For one thing, I'm not sure how an investment in a 3G ONLY network can work out in Malta when we know that indoor 3G coverage is difficult to achieve. Clearly GO and Voda, which have 3.5G and 3G respectively, can offer their customers EDGE (in case of GO) and GPRS (Voda) in case that 3G coverage is not available, especially considering our densely populated topography.
Imagine using your laptop or Blackberry and there's no 3G coverage - that means NO Service....OUCH MELITA!!!
John Formosa
Feb 1st 2009, 10:38
I find it hard to believe Melita in claiming cheaper rates, when you consider how they rip you off on their TV service. Is the TV service subsidising the mobile service by any chance? Will the Malta Communications Authority check that this is not done?
I advise MElita mobiel users to check the fine-print of their terms and conditions, as well as keep in mind that it's not just about savings, but the quality of the service...I was never impressed with Melita's customer care...kif jghid il-Malti - "min jitwieled tond ma jmutx kwadru".