Malta - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Executive summary

Malta Melita and Vodafone call off merger

Despite its small size, Malta’s telecom sector is among the most advanced in Europe, with high mobile and broadband penetration rates and a strategy in place to capitalise on infrastructure to develop e-commerce opportunities.

The sector has also been stimulated by regulatory measures designed to reduce consumer prices, pave the way towards a national FttP telecom network and increase competition. To this end the Competition Authority examined the proposed merger between Vodafone Malta and Melita, a move which would have allowed the merged entity to provide a more effective challenge to the incumbent telco GO but which would essentially have created a market duopoly, given that other licensed operators have a very small market share. In December 2017 May 2017, Apax Partners, Fortino Capital and Vodafone Group called off the merger, citing difficulties in securing regulatory approval.

The broadband market is controlled by Melita, which retains a monopoly on cable services, and GO, commanding a near complete dominance in the DSL and fibre segments. An island-wide WiMAX service is provided by Vodafone, while Melita also operates an extensive Wi-Fi mesh network. GO is currently investing in an extensive FttP network, which covered about 64,000 premises by March 2018, while an all-fibre backhaul network also supports its LTE infrastructure.

Investment in telecoms networks has been maintained, though in recent years this was mainly made up of investment in mobile infrastructure which compensated for lower investment by other operators providing fixed-line services. However, since 2015 GO has embarked on a program to develop a wide-spread FttP network, and so provide a platform to develop services in future. In late 2017 the company announced plans to invest €100 million over five years, partly in LTE and fibre infrastructure as also in upgrading capacity on submarine cables.

The mobile market is dominated by Vodafone Malta, GO Mobile and Melita Mobile, with Redtouch Fone the only active MVNO.

The key issue for coming years will be the continuing effort by the regulator to encourage a national broadband network through developing regulations attractive to investors, and so maintain momentum in one of Europe’s smallest markets.

Key developments:

Melita launches ‘5G ready’ LTE-A network;
Regulator planning revision of 900MHz and 1800MHz licences to encourage investment in NB-IoT services;
Melita and Vodafone call of merger plans;
GO acquired by Tunisie Telecom;
Vodafone expands LTE-A reach;
Melita launches a 1Gb/s broadband service;
GO commits to €100 million five-year investment;
Regulator restarts 800MHz auction process;
Government supporting a national FttP network;
GO launches a 500Mb/s fibre-based service;
Report update includes the regulator’s market data updates to December 2017, telcos’ operating data to Q1 2018, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Vodafone Malta, GO, Melita, SIS, Ozone, Redtouch Fone, PING.

1. Executive summary
2. Key statistics
3. Country overview
4. Telecommunications market
5. Regulatory environment
- 5.1 Historical overview
- 5.2 Regulatory authority
- 5.3 Digital Society initiatives
- 5.4 Telecom sector liberalisation
- 5.5 Privatisation
- 5.6 Interconnect
- 5.7 Access
- 5.8 Carrier PreSelection (CPS)
- 5.9 Number Portability (NP)
6. Fixed network operators
- 6.1 GO
- 6.2 Melita
7. Telecommunications infrastructure
- 7.1 Overview of the national telecom network
- 7.2 International infrastructure
- 7.3 VoIP
8. Wholesale
9. Fixed-line broadband market
- 9.1 Introduction and statistical overview
- 9.2 Broadband statistics
- 9.3 Fixed-line broadband technologies
  - 9.3.1 Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
  - 9.3.2 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
  - 9.3.3 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
- 9.4 Other fixed broadband services
  - 9.4.1 Satellite
  - 9.4.2 Wireless broadband
  - 9.4.3 Videostreaming
10. Digital economy
11. Mobile market
- 11.1 Market analysis
- 11.2 Mobile statistics
  - 11.2.1 General statistics
- 11.3 Mobile infrastructure
  - 11.3.1 5G
  - 11.3.2 4G (LTE)
  - 11.3.3 3G
- 11.4 Mobile data
  - 11.4.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
  - 11.4.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
- 11.5 Mobile broadband
- 11.6 Regulatory issues
  - 11.6.1 Roaming
  - 11.6.2 Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs)
  - 11.6.3 Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
  - 11.6.4 Spectrum regulations and spectrum auctions
  - 11.6.5 Spectrum auctions
- 11.7 Major mobile operators
  - 11.7.1 Vodafone Malta
  - 11.7.2 GO Mobile
  - 11.7.3 Melita Mobile
  - 11.7.4 MVNOs
- 11.8 Mobile content and applications
  - 11.8.1 Mobile TV
12. Related reports

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Malta – 2017
Table 2 – Annual fixed numbers ported – 2007 - 2016
Table 3 – Fixed-line subscriber market share by operator – 2007 - 2017
Table 4 – Total fixed-line calls – 2009 - 2017
Table 5 – Total outgoing fixed-line traffic – 2008 - 2018
Table 6 – GO financial data (Lm) – 2004 - 2007
Table 7 – GO Group financial data (€) – 2007 - 2017
Table 8 – Fixed lines in service and penetration rate – 2001 - 2018
Table 9 – Fixed lines by operator – 2012 - 2017
Table 10 – Historic - Dialup internet subscribers – 2005 - 2010
Table 11 – Internet users and penetration – 2002 - 2017
Table 12 – Broadband subscriptions by platform – 2002 - 2018
Table 13 – Proportion of broadband connections by data rate – 2013 - 2017
Table 14 – Broadband market share by operator – 2007 - 2017
Table 15 – Broadband penetration – 2005 - 2018
Table 16 – Broadband ARPU – 2011 - 2017
Table 17 – Cable broadband penetration rate – 2000 - 2017
Table 18 – Melita cable broadband subscribers – 2009 - 2017
Table 19 – DSL subscribers – 2009 - 2017
Table 20 – GO fibre broadband subscribers – 2015 - 2017
Table 21 – Fixed wireless subscribers – 2007 - 2017
Table 22 – BWA share of broadband market – 2007 - 2017
Table 23 – IPTV subscribers – 2011 - 2017
Table 24 – eCommerce usage – 2006 - 2017
Table 25 – Annualised blended mobile ARPU – 2013 - 2017
Table 26 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1998 - 2009
Table 27 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2010 - 2019
Table 28 – Mobile market share by operator – 2007 - 2017
Table 29 – Mobile traffic – 2005 - 2018
Table 30 – Proportion of contract and prepaid subscribers, all operators – 2005 - 2017
Table 31 – Prepaid and contract subscribers, all operators – 2005 - 2017
Table 32 – SMS messages sent – 2005 - 2018
Table 33 – Average cost of SMS messages (€) – 2011 - 2016
Table 34 – MMS messages – 2006 - 2018
Table 35 – Mobile broadband subscribers by type – 2012 - 2018
Table 36 – Mobile broadband penetration – 2012 - 2018
Table 37 – European roaming charges – 2007 – 2016
Table 38 – European data roaming charges – 2014 - 2017
Table 39 – Historic - Mobile termination rates by operator – 2005 – 2010; 2012
Table 40 – Annual mobile number portings – 2006 - 2017
Table 41 – Vodafone Malta subscribers – 2005 - 2017
Table 42 – GO Mobile subscribers – 2009 - 2017
Table 43 – Melita mobile subscribers – 2009 - 2017
Table 44 – MVNO subscribers by operators – 2011 - 2017

Chart 1 – GO Group financial data – 2007 - 2017
Chart 2 – Fixed lines in service and penetration rate – 2001 – 2018
Chart 3 – Broadband subscriptions by platform – 2005 – 2018
Chart 4 – Broadband market share by operator – 2007 – 2017
Chart 5 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2005 – 2019
Chart 6 – Mobile market share by operator – 2007 – 2017
Chart 7 – Prepaid and contract subscribers, all operators – 2005 – 2017
Chart 8 – SMS messages – 2005 – 2018

Exhibit 1 – 3G licence allocations – 2005; 2007
Exhibit 2 – Mobile operators and spectrum allocation range

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Technologies

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Digital Media
Internet
Mobile & Wireless Broadband and Media
Mobile Communications (voice and infrastructure)
Regulations & Government Policies
Telecoms Infrastructure

Number of pages 40

Status Current

Last updated 25 May 2018
Update History

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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