IT Minister Austin Gatt this morning launched a Green Paper on “Next Generation Access Infrastructure”.

He explained that the document is a collection of ideas on where the country should be heading with regard to connectivity.

The next step, he said, was for Malta to migrate to fibre optic connectivity, which is set to be a ‘no limits’ technology, but discussion was needed on how this would come about, who would make the investment, and the government’s role.

“We are aiming to be one of the top 10 countries offering a way of life based on Internet,” Dr Gatt said, but it was important that the country was at the front in the use of technology.

Services in 10 years’ time would depend on connectivity. Broadband quality in Maltese homes therefore needed to be drastically improved. The integration of voice, data and video underlined the greater need for fibre technology.

He recalled that in the late 1980s the government had invested strongly in telecoms networks, and this had served to attract investment. Clearly the government needed to continue to invest in this way.

"Our size helps in deploying nation-wide projects as we manage to bring together all major stakeholders to discuss and partner on initiiatives which have a tangible improvement in the way we communicate, attract investment and provide services," Dr Gatt said.

The aim of the Green Paper was to launch a debate on the best route the country should .

He looked forward to the debate on the Green Paper as it would impact on the social-economic development of the country for the next 20 years.

The Green Paper can be accessed at www.mitc.gov.mt