With Malta’s broadband Internet access prices having subdued consumer take-up of high speed Internet access, the government last week launched a subsidy scheme offering broadband Internet access for e3 (Lm1.29) per month for a one-year time frame.

The scheme, which will work in collaboration with a number of Internet service providers, will see the government subsidising the cost of broadband access for households. With the average cost of an entry-level broadband connection running at e20 (Lm8.59) per month, the government will be paying out e17 (Lm7.30) per month per household taking up the offer.

The initiative will target 5,000 households, meaning if the target is reached the cost to the government would stand at e1,020,000 (Lm437,886). Access for households with disabled people will be offered free of charge.

Applications for the scheme, which will be available mainly for households that do not have a broadband subscription, are to be made available in the near future and households are expected to begin benefiting from the scheme by February.