We have heard that two UHF bands have been assigned to operators to begin operating in digital radio. This is a positive step and will also have the added effect of pushing more commodities onto the local market, obviously including digital radio players.

But while this new-fangled radio will be a nice novelty for people, one should never forget that traditional radio as we know it will still remain the bread and butter of broadcasting, as it is in many other more technologically advanced countries.

Another development we have seen is the application and adjudication procedure for 3G mobile telephone operations. Once again, this is also good news for Malta. However, it must be pointed out that while some Maltese consumers are very eager to have the very

latest product to hit the shelves, operators must be careful.

Malta is what it is – an island with a potential customer base of about 300,000 people. 3G technology is more expensive to set up than the current model. It would be futile to launch 3G onto the market if cost constraints make it ridiculously expensive to have. A simple reality check is that while quite a few customers have started to plump for flashy colour screen mobiles, the majority are still on the old black block text and image phone.

Malta is also eagerly awaiting digital terrestrial television, which will compete with Melita Cable, who have also launched their own digital cable service. We have been saying for years on end that Malta needed to do away with monopolies and that is happening in this sector.

However, the customer waits with baited breath to see what new packages will come from established companies, once their competitors enter the market.

Unfortunately, we still have a mentality in this country that more or less says: “Let’s give the consumer as little as we have to”. This is not the right attitude to have at all. It will be a good wake up call, once other operators enter the fray, and people might start getting better value for money, and perhaps even more importantly, better service.

Communications Minister Censu Galea recently said that Malta is fast catching up with the development of communications technology, and this is true. The government has invested a hefty amount in the IT sector. However, the maximum gain could never be made out of that investment until the recent liberalisation of the communications market.

In fact, the abbreviation IT (information technology) has now evolved into ICT (information and communication technology), showing that the two technologies, while differing in essence, need each other to push limits even further.

But, as always, we have constraints. There are wi-fi hotspots around Malta (wireless uplinks) but the service is still far too expensive to appeal to the everyday internet user. It is useless having these technologies that we can showboat with if the cost is simply too high. We hope that the introduction of new networks will cause these prices to fall.

Equally important is the service provided. Some businesses, not all, have not yet realised that this is 2005 and, at the end of the day, they are not in control of the market at all. It is the consumer who is in charge and if other companies come in and offer a better (or equal) service at a cheaper price, the consumer will simply move on to another provider. Better service and good quality is what creates a return customer, and businesses should always keep that in mind.