The government has launched an information service system, provided by the Malta Communication Authority (MCA), through which the public can monitor and compare local telecommunication tariff plans and bundled services in order to choose what is best to fit their needs.
This service was launched on Tuesday by the Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri, where he said that the government wants to aspire towards an MCA that is more focused on consumer needs.
Titled TeleCosts, the service aims to lead to a stronger telecom service for consumers, operators and the industry, with regards to information tools on the bundled packages available on the market, for a better-informed choice.
When visiting the website www.telecosts.com, consumers can compare all local tariff plans available for mobile telephony, fixed telephony, internet, as well as bundled services for telephony, internet and TV. Consumers can filter the options in the telecommunication services in accordance with their personal needs and are then provided with a list of the cheapest services offered on the market.
Schembri said that the government's vision for the MCA is to lead Malta to having a more inclusive digital society, where the benefits of digital technology are felt by society at large. This includes investments by the MCA in monitoring and training facilities in the field of telecommunications, including a state-of-the-art system with monitoring facilities strategically located around the island, over a period of three years.
He said that at an authority level, the government's vision in the regulatory field is for the MCA to continue to monitor the various services offered in the sector, including fixed and mobile telephony, internet services, as well as television distribution.
Schembri noted that Malta is currently benefiting from three mobile telephony network providers offering 4.5G services nationwide, with one of the operators already investing in 5G-ready infrastructure. He added that, following the success of the ‘eBiznify’ project in recent years through which almost 200 micro and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) have been trained, the MCA will continue to invest more in this e-commerce online training program and, through an investment of €90,000, it will expand further over the coming year to attract an even wider audience.
He also commented on the regulation of digital services in the European Union. This includes the introduction of the revision of roaming regulations, e-commerce rules, and the Postal Services Directive, as well as the Digital Services Act announced for Malta. Schembri stressed the importance of strong connectivity, especially for an island like Malta which depends on interaction with Europe and international markets, for a country to remain competitive.
He said that the telecommunications infrastructure in Malta is the most developed in Europe as indicated in the Digital Economy and Society Index 2020 issued by the European Commission where Malta ranks among the top five countries in Europe in terms of digital progress, in particular on the use of broadband, the internet capability, and the integration of digital technology by local businesses.
Jesmond Bugeja, Chief Executive of the MCA, highlighted that in view of the changing needs of consumers, the MCA regularly monitors electronic communications to identify the main trends shaping the market.
In its most recent data collection exercise for the third quarter of 2020, the MCA recorded a total of 211,060 fixed broadband subscriptions as of September 2020, which translates into a 5.4% increase over the year before. Meanwhile, with nearly 19,000 new takeovers from the previous quarter, mobile subscriptions reached 635,040 by the end of the reporting period.