The Malta Communication Authority, MCA, will be publishing an international call for proposals to be submitted for the use of two orbital satellite slots. The Government of Malta intends to make these slots available, to support both private and public electronic communications services, via a concession agreement and associated license to be managed by the MCA.
Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Competitiveness and Economic Growth, Dr José Herrera, said that through this international competitive process Malta was making history in its communications sector.
A new milestone in our country's Communications Sector
José Herrera said that "in satellite communications this Government is committed to do what others failed to do. The Government has taken the decision to develop the satellite communications sector and to make available its International Telecommunication Union (ITU)-allotted orbital slots to the market, through an international competitive process. For the first time Malta will be seeking parties interested in exploiting space assets through commercial activities that can benefit the Maltese Islands and place Malta on the global satellite transmission map".
Dr Herrera said that this call aims to attract experienced international players to our shores supporting the provision of high quality commercial satellite services based on next generation technology. Such major projects would serve to support knowledge transfer in new sectors and aim to provide new opportunities for business growth.
Innovation is the key
Dr José Herrera said that this process shall complement and enhance the advanced electronic communications infrastructure of our country. The Government, together with the stakeholders, was committed to ensure continued innovation and investment by local operators, both in terms of the technology and services offered to businesses and consumers. Through such initiatives and processes, Malta would continue to ensure that it was placed with the front-runners in an increasingly competitive knowledge-based, European environment.
The Parliamentary Secretary said that the Government of Malta believed that investment in infrastructure was vital to increased competition in the sector, generating better quality services and value-for-money for consumers.
The role of the MCA
The Government has tasked the Malta Communications Authority (MCA), being the entity responsible for regulating the electronic communications sector, to oversee this process and a public call will shortly be issued.
The MCA will consider investment capital, business models, market coverage, use of latest technologies, commercial terms and conditions, timelines for operation, and economic offers in order to select the most qualified proponent/s for the licensing of these satellite resources.