Making ultra-fast internet broadband universally available in Malta, supporting mobile operators in the roll-out of next-generation technologies, and cloud computing are some of the areas that the Malta Communications Authority (MCA) will focus on in the immediate future in a sector that contributes around 2.2 per cent of the Maltese economy.
In his introductory remarks to the MCA’s annual report for 2012, the recently appointed chairman Edward Woods lists the achievements and the challenges and the authority faced in 2012, while looking ahead to what might be in store in the coming months.
“We will be supporting the Government in its efforts to ensure that ultrafast broadband is universally available in Malta at affordable prices; providing an environment where mobile operators can roll-out next generation technologies in mobile broadband; and securing competitive offers to consumers that compare, as a minimum, to what is available to consumers in neighbouring EU member states. We will also be looking into cloud computing and digital media and the implications for Malta and particularly the impact these will have on our industry.
“We look forward to an intensive year of activity working with our counterpart regulatory authorities in the other EU member states.
“I am pleased to state that in the coming months we intend to propose legislative changes to Government to further strengthen our legal framework, in light of the changing competitive environment,” writes Dr Woods.
The MCA’s annual report for 2012 gives an overview of the state of play in the Maltese communications and postal sectors through data and reports by the authority and third parties, while accounting for the authority’s work in several areas.
Data compiled by the NSO indicates that there was no significant change in the telecoms sector contribution to the national gross value added (GVA) in 2012, which stood at around 2.2 per cent or €127.5 million. The contribution of the postal sector was 0.3 per cent.
The developments observed in the fixed line telecoms sector in 2012 in terms of take-up and usage were in line with those in previous years. Meanwhile, a further narrowing of price differentials for fixed and mobile tariffs contributed to falling fixed line traffic volumes. Mobile telephony subscriptions and voice traffic maintained a healthy upward trend in 2012, reflecting higher take-up of multiple subscriptions.
Malta’s fixed broadband internet penetration rate stood at 32.8 per cent as at the end of 2012, up by 1.7 percentage points since the end of the previous year. The average price per megabit continued to fall in 2012, from €2.20 in Q4 2011 to €1.84 in Q4 2012, while at the same time local service providers also created opportunities for customers to avail themselves of higher broadband speeds by launching new offers on the market and upgrading broadband speeds of existing customers.
For the first time since 2009, the pay TV sector reported a drop in the overall number of subscriptions, as the increase in Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) subscriptions was insufficient to compensate for the declines in digital terrestrial TV (DTTV) subscriptions and cable-based TV subscriptions.
Last year, the MCA supported the Government in its endeavours to introduce ultra-high speed broadband access in Malta, known as next generation access (NGA). The MCA in fact started to implement its strategy for NGA networks in Malta.
The strategy aims to use both symmetrical and asymmetrical regulation to create the opportunities for dynamic and sustainable competition, as well as facilitate the rollout of such networks via the existence of an appropriate set of deployment rules.
Initiatives implementing this strategy will be taken this year.
In the third quarter of 2012, following the failure of the entities interested in providing a printed directory to meet the necessary minimum requirements, the Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA) notified the authority of its interest to publish a printed directory. The MCA assisted the Office of the Information and Data Protection Commissioner in overseeing the transfer of pilot subscriber data to MITA.
The MCA was also active in promoting the new mobile roaming tariffs in the EU that came into effect from July 1, 2012. A further reduction in tariffs came into effect this week.
The authority also continued to monitor the electro-magnetic field (EMF) emissions to check whether they are within the exposure standards established by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP); 276 EMF on-site audits were made.
The authority last year officially launched a price comparison portal for the electronic communications sector – www.telecosts.com.mt – which allows end-users to access information on the various service packages for mobile, fixed, broadband internet and bundled offers, which are available on the market at any given time.
Other initiatives taken in 2012 cover the MCA’s remit in promoting the networked society and included support for the use of ICT by small businesses, support for elderly citizens to start using ICT, and the BeSmartOnline project that promotes safer use of internet by children.