Melita plans further expansion after €50m investment

Communications group Melita is planning further expansion across its four areas of services - TV, internet, fixed-line and mobile - in the next few months, the company has said.

Melita said it planned to develop new products which will continue to place Melita and Malta at the forefront of practical applications of advanced communications and home entertainment technology.

The company has just completed a €50 million investment programme to enhance its communications network with next generation technology in international connectivity and mobile communication.

Melita subscribers and corporate customers can now opt for superfast internet speeds of up to 50Mbps while the minimum entry level speed on Melita's cable internet has been raised from 2Mbps to 5Mbps. Melita completed these upgrades by mid-August on a complimentary basis to all its customers to mark the completion of the €10 million fibre optic submarine cable project connecting Malta to the rest of the world.

Earlier this year, Melita introduced another first to Malta - a fully fledged third-generation only mobile network across Malta. Melita Mobile employs next generation mobile technology which enable mobile users in Malta to experience a whole new world of mobile communication, including faster internet browsing and video calling.

The launch of Melita Mobile changed the face of the mobile market in Malta. For the first time ever, Melita Mobile challenged the high prices charged for mobile use and offered up to 30 per cent cheaper call rates, with video calls charged at the same rate as voice calls, charges applied per second and no time windows on pre-paid mobile credit.

Throughout its 17 years of operation as a home-grown succesful company, Melita has gained a wealth of experience in providing home entertainment and communication services tailored for ever-changing lifestyles. More recently, the company could also draw on foreign experiences gained by the various international shareholders which currently own the majority of the company. Melita's current shareholders, GMT Communications Partners, M/C Ventures and Blackrock Communications, are specialised investors in media and telecommunication assets.

Melita has a number of international partnerships and collaborations in place with global telecommunication players such as Ericsson and Cisco as well as contractual relationships with providers of broadcasting rights such as Uefa Champions, Barclays Premier League and Italian Serie A.

Currently, Melita provides cable television services to over 100,000 families and businesses, cable internet to over 50,000 users, over 55,000 fixed telephone lines and mobile communication to more than 25,000 subscribers who joined Melita mobile in the first six months of operation.