The Malta Communications Authority wants local internet services providers to support internet users who switch ISP by forwarding their e-mail from the old e-mail account to the new e-mail address free of charge for six months.

The MCA has issued a consultation paper describing how this could work out and to seek feedback from interested parties. The authority explained that the e-mail address is a key component of the small matrix of characteristics which forms one's public identity: name, address, phone number and e-mail address. This is how the world knows who we are and how to contact us and therefore the loss or change of an e-mail address could be a major setback.

"Consequently, in order to retain the e-mail address, in the absence of a mechanism to migrate e-mail addresses, individuals and businesses who obtain an e-mail account from their ISP are forced to remain with their existing ISP, or to pay for the retention of a stand-alone e-mail account, thus creating a barrier to change ISP."

The Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications and the MCA are proposing changes to the relevant Maltese legislation so that communication service providers offering an e-mail service shall, on termination, forward a subscriber's e-mail messages received by that subscriber on the closed ISP account to a new e-mail address of the subscriber's choice. This would be provided free of charge for six months and then at a charge for an indefinite period.

"This measure would guarantee the continuation of e-mail service, to both subscribers and the business community," the MCA said. "It is recognised that there are no technical barriers that prevent the e-mails sent to the original e-mail address to be automatically forwarded to the subscriber's new e-mail address."

The consultation period will run until February 19 and the MCA welcomes written comments on any of the issues raised in this consultation document.