Go has started to deploy higher-speed fibre broadband internet technologies in several localities under its five-year €100 million investment plan in next generation networks, the company said.
The new technologies are reaching speeds of up to 100 megabits per second in specific areas of Malta.
Go is the first local communications provider to offer 100 Mbps fibre connectivity as part of its commercial trials at Portomaso and Forth Mansions in Ta’ Xbiex. The company plans to offer similar speeds in other areas once fibre is made more widely available, subject to upcoming government policy and regulatory decisions.
In July, Go announced its was to invest €100 million over six years from this year as part of its technology roadmap which will see it launching next generation networks such as fibre-to-the-home, mobile network upgrades and investments in its TV infrastructure to cover new services and applications.
Go is also upgrading its existing infrastructure to offer higher speeds to households, as fibre technology is brought closer to the customers’ residences, with the result that customers can benefit from increased speeds of up to 20 Mbps. Numerous areas in Malta and Gozo are already benefiting from these higher speeds.
Chief commercial officer Duncan Howard explained Go’s aim was to provide faster speeds, better quality and reliability through a future-proof technology, which will allow bandwidth-hungry applications to run on it smoothly thanks to smarter devices.
Go is to examine applications that will allow households to have a converged experience of internet and TV content via a TV set-top box, allowing customers to view their favourite content and applications on their TV.
“The Future Connected Home, something we already showcased during the last Trade Fair, will also benefit from fibre technology. This solution allows different home devices such as a tablet PC or smartphone to interact together in a completely new way via a centralised home gateway,” Mr Howard added.
Malta last month ranked sixth in the global annual study of the quality of broadband internet connections around the world, beating the US, the UK and Germany.
The study was conducted by a team of MBA students from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford and the University of Oviedo’s Department of Applied Economics, and sponsored by Cisco.