A large number of households are not familiar with the basic terms and conditions of their broadcasting services contract, according to a survey.

The survey, carried out by the Malta Communications Authority between July and September, shows that 48 per cent and 38 per cent of Melita digital subscribers and Go DTTV subscribers respectively are not aware of their subscription (contract) period.

Similarly, around 25 per cent of Pay-TV subscribers do not know how much they are paying for their TV service.

The MCA yesterday published the results of a survey it carried out to gauge consumer perceptions and satisfaction levels on broadcasting services. Following last month’s internet broadband survey publication, this is the second in a series of MCA surveys.

It showed that 99 per cent of Maltese households have a TV set. An average of more than 70 per cent of Pay-TV subscribers said they were satisfied or highly satisfied with the quality of their TV connection service, of which 78 per cent were Go DTTV subscribers, 70 per cent were Melita Digital subscribers and 66 per cent subscribed to the Melita analogue service.

Customers can subscribe to packaged products bundling two or more electronic communication services offered by the same provider. These bundles provide particular advantages like cost savings and single billing, and have become very popular locally. The survey confirmed that about 30 per cent of Melita digital subscribers and 57 per cent of Go DTTV subscribers claimed to have their TV connection as part of a bundle.

The survey also highlighted that 12 per cent of households with a TV subscription have switched from one type of TV connection to another over the last two years.

Light was also shed on the viewership of TV content over the internet, with 19 per cent of households claiming to view TV via the internet.