According to the Digital Agenda Scoreboard published recently, Malta ranks first in next generation broadband network coverage, scoring 100% in this regard. Internet infrastructures in Malta which are capable of providing broadband download speeds of 30 Mbps or more are available nationwide as opposed to 62% coverage in the EU. This is not the only area where Malta is performing better than the EU average. As at the end of 2013, 79% of Maltese households had a broadband connection, again above the EU average of 76%.
The Commission positively reports on the substantial increase in the number of broadband subscriptions to high speed connections that is, to speeds of 30 Mbps or more, from 2% in 2012 to 14% in 2013. The MCA notes that as at the 1st Quarter of 2014, this figure is expected to have grown exponentially to around 50% as a result of the latest spate of broadband upgrades made by the local service providers. Mobile broadband take-up also increased very substantially from 50% in 2012 to 58% in 2013.
Connections providing at least 100 Mbps, remained low, at 1% of all subscriptions, however, it is fair to anticipate that this figure will improve as the majority of subscriptions move from the lower speed categories to the categories above 30 Mbps.
The Commission reported that 4G mobile technology is not available in Malta, as the cut-off date for this report was Quarter 3 of 2013. This technology was in fact launched in Malta in October 2013.
‘Broadband availability is an essential driver of the Maltese economy. It is therefore essential that we continue to perform well in this regard, both for the benefit of our citizens but equally as important for our businesses to remain competitive in a global market. Through our collaboration with the Malta Communications Authority and the continued implementation of forward looking, investment friendly policies, we are certainly on the right track to keeping up this positive pace,’ said the Hon. Jose Herrera, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth.
Internet usage and Digital Skills
66% of Maltese individuals continue to access the internet on a regular basis. Whilst the number of persons accessing the internet daily has marginally increased to 59% in 2013 from 57% in 2012, 28% have never used the Internet.
Commenting on this figure, Dr Woods, Chairman at the MCA said that ‘Today, we cannot afford to have individuals not using the Internet. These individuals are socially and economically disadvantaged compared to their peers who are benefitting from ICTs. We will remain focused to bring this figure down as much as possible. Our ongoing projects like the Project Enter and Live ICT, which are both aimed at helping individuals understand the potential of ICT and grasp ICT skills and competences, are essential for us to reach this ambitious goal. These efforts will not, however, detract our attention from other, perhaps even more important actions, such as internet safety – an area where tangible results are essential’.
eCommerce
On the eCommerce front, Malta is performing just under the EU average in terms of the number of individuals purchasing online, with 46% of the Maltese population ordering goods online compared to the EU average of 47%. On the other hand, 39% of Maltese individuals have purchased online from abroad, compared to the EU average of 12%. The report also gives indicators on large, as well as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) selling online, both figures suggesting that Malta is below the EU average. However, it is pertinent to note that, in actual fact, these figures are not representative of the Maltese economy, which is made up largely of micro-enterprises, employing less than 10 persons. Moreover, Malta’s size and geographic location inevitably impinge negatively on businesses’ ability to conduct eCommerce. The MCA will be looking further into these statistics since according to the NSO, 19.3% of enterprises using the Internet carried out sales via eCommerce. This contrasts heavily with the data published by the Commission according to which only 10% of enterprises in Malta used eCommerce in 2013.