Malta - Telecoms, IP Networks, Digital Media and Forecasts
MVNOs making a growing presence in Malta's mobile market
Malta's small telecom sector continues to be stimulated by regulatory measures designed to increase competition and to reduce consumer prices, as also to pave the way towards a national FttP telecom infrastructure. The regulator has also keenly promoted this infrastructure to develop the eCommerce sector, conscious that the country's geographic location and economy dominated by micro-businesses restricts the potential for companies to make effective use of online sales.
The broadband market remains largely controlled by two operators, with Melita retaining a monopoly on cable services and GO commanding a near complete dominance in the DSL market. Alternative broadband players have only a small share of the DSL market. An island-wide WiMAX service is provided by Vodafone. Broadband penetration, which for long was comparatively low by European standards, has risen sharply in recent years, while average broadband speeds have also increased rapidly on the back of operator investments in new technologies.
The value of Malta's telecom market, as also its contribution to the overall economy, has fallen since 2009. The decline is in line with other telecom markets in Europe and follows the global context of the economic downturn. Investment in telecoms networks was maintained into 2010, though this was mainly made up of investment from mobile operators which compensated for lower investment by other operators providing fixed-line services.
In the mobile market Vodafone Malta, and GO Mobile and Melita Mobile have been joined by a few MVNOs which are gradually extending market share, though the sector remains dominated by GO Mobile and Vodafone, which together control about 85% of the market by subscribers. These operators offer quad-play services including mobile combinations of voice, cable TV, IPTV and telephony, which as bundles make it hard for other operators to gain a foothold other than within narrow markets. Nevertheless, a sympathetic regulatory regime is having a marked effect on operator behaviour as they struggle to retain existing customers in an increasingly competitive market.
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.
Malta Key telecom parameters 2014 (e)
Penetration of services | 2014 (e)
Fixed-line | 54%
Broadband | 35%
Mobile | 139%
(Source: BuddeComm)
Data in this report is the latest available at the time of preparation and may not be for the current year.
This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Malta's telecommunications market. The report analyses the mobile, internet, broadband, digital TV and digital media sectors.
Subjects include:
Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
Facts, figures and statistics;
Industry and regulatory issues;
Infrastructure;
Major players, revenues, subscribers, ARPU, MoU;
Internet, VoIP, IPTV;
Mobile voice and data markets;
Broadband (FttP, DSL, cable TV, wireless);
Convergence and digital media;
3G subscriber and mobile ARPU forecasts to 2015;
Broadband market forecasts for selective years to 2020.
Key developments:
Mobile network operators invest for future 4G deployment; government supporting a national FttP network, with a minimum broadband service being upgraded from 4Mb/s to 100Mb/s; Malta's first VoD service launched by Melita; Melita extends its 250Mb/s broadband service; Vodafone launches commercial LTE service; regulator to amend mobile licences to enable MNOs to deploy 4G technologies; government launches the Digital Malta: National Digital Strategy 2014-2020 program; regulator's market data updates to end-2013, telcos' operating and financial data to Q1 2014; market developments to June 2014.
Companies covered in this report include:
Vodafone, GO, Melita, SIS, Ozone, Redtouchphone, PING.
This report is essential reading for those needing high level strategic information and objective analysis on the telecom sector in Malta.
It provides further information on:
Market liberalisation and regulatory issues;
The impact of the global economic crisis;
Telecoms operators privatisation, acquisitions, new licences;
Mobile data market developments in coming years in light of spectrum auctions and new license awards in 2010;
3G developments, regulatory issues and technologies including HSPA;
Broadband migration to an FttP architecture;
Historical and current subscriber statistics and forecasts;
ARPU statistics and forecasts.
- 1. Executive summary
- 2. Key statistics
- 3. Telecommunications market
- 3.1 Overview of Malta's telecom market
- 4. Regulatory environment
- 4.1 History
- 4.2 Regulatory authority
- 4.3 Digital Society initiatives
- 4.4 Telecom sector liberalisation in Malta
- 4.5 Privatisation of Telemalta
- 4.6 Interconnect
- 4.7 Access
- 4.8 Carrier PreSelection (CPS)
- 4.9 Number Portability (NP)
- 5. Fixed-network operators in Malta
- 5.1 GO
- 5.2 Melita
- 6. Telecommunications infrastructure
- 6.1 National telecom network
- 6.2 International infrastructure
- 7. Fixed voice market
- 7.1 Overview
- 8. Broadband market
- 8.1 Overview
- 8.1.1 eCommerce
- 8.1.2 Broadband statistics
- 8.2 Bitstream access: DSL and cable networks
- 8.3 Cable modems
- 8.4 Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
- 8.5 Fibre-to-the-Premise (FttP)
- 8.6 Satellite
- 8.7 Wireless broadband
- 8.7.1 WiFi
- 8.7.2 Mobile broadband
- 8.7.3 WiMAX
- 8.8 Wholesaling
- 9. Digital media
- 9.1 Overview of digital media
- 9.2 Quadruple play models
- 9.3 Digital TV
- 9.3.1 Digital Terrestrial TV (DTTV)
- 9.3.2 TV-over-DSL (IPTV)
- 9.3.3 Video-on-Demand
- 9.3.4 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
- 10. Mobile communications
- 10.1 Overview of Malta's mobile market
- 10.1.1 Mobile statistics
- 10.2 Regulatory issues
- 10.2.1 Roaming
- 10.2.2 Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs)
- 10.2.3 Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
- 10.2.4 Spectrum regulations and spectrum auctions
- 10.3 Mobile technologies
- 10.3.1 Digital
- 10.3.2 Third Generation (3G) mobile
- 10.3.3 Long-term Evolution (LTE)
- 10.4 Major mobile operators
- 10.4.1 Vodafone Malta
- 10.4.2 GO Mobile
- 10.4.3 Melita Mobile
- 10.4.4 MVNOs
- 10.5 Mobile voice services
- 10.5.1 Prepaid
- 10.6 Mobile data services
- 10.6.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
- 10.6.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
- 10.6.3 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
- 10.6.4 Enhanced Data for GSM evolution (EDGE)
- 10.6.5 High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA)
- 10.6.6 Long-term Evolution (LTE)
- 10.6.7 Mobile broadband
- 10.6.8 Mobile TV
- 11. Forecasts
- 11.1 Forecasts broadband subscribers 2010-2012, 2020
- 11.1.1 Notes on scenario forecasts
- 12. Related reports
- Table 1 Country statistics Malta 2014 (e)
- Table 2 Telephone network statistics 2013
- Table 3 Internet user statistics 2014 (e)
- Table 4 Broadband statistics 2013
- Table 5 Mobile statistics 2013)
- Table 6 National telecommunications authority
- Table 7 Telecom market value () 2006 - 2013
- Table 8 Telecom market investment 2009 - 2012
- Table 9 Telecom economic contribution to Maltese economy 2009 - 2012
- Table 10 Annual fixed numbers ported 2007 - 2013
- Table 11 Fixed-line subscriber market share by operator 2007 - 2013
- Table 12 GO financial data (Lm) 2004 - 2007
- Table 13 GO Group financial data () 2007 - 2013
- Table 14 GO revenue by sector 2007 - 2012
- Table 15 Melita Group financial data 2010 - 2013
- Table 16 Fixed lines in service and penetration rate 2001 - 2013
- Table 17 Fixed-line traffic (fixed-to-fixed) 2005 - 2012
- Table 18 Total fixed-line calls 2009 - 2013
- Table 19 Total outgoing fixed-line traffic 2008 - 2013
- Table 20 Dialup internet subscribers 2005 - 2010
- Table 21 Broadband technologies: availability and coverage 2013
- Table 22 eCommerce usage 2006 - 2012
- Table 23 Broadband subscriptions by platform 2002 - 2013
- Table 24 Proportion of broadband connections by data rate 2009 - 2013
- Table 25 Broadband market share by operator 2007 - 2013
- Table 26 Broadband penetration 2005 - 2014
- Table 27 Broadband ARPU 2009 - 2013
- Table 28 Cable broadband penetration rate 2000 - 2013
- Table 29 Melita cable broadband subscribers 2009 - 2013
- Table 30 DSL subscribers 2009 - 2013
- Table 31 Mobile broadband connections 2010 - 2013
- Table 32 Fixed wireless subscribers 2007 - 2013
- Table 33 BWA share of broadband market 2007 - 2013
- Table 34 Fixed-line subscribers to bundled services, by type 2009 - 2013
- Table 35 Pay TV ARPU 2009 - 2013
- Table 36 Digital cable TV subscribers 2008 - 2013
- Table 37 Pay TV subscribers by connection type 2005 - 2013
- Table 38 Pay TV market share by operator 2009 - 2013
- Table 39 DTTV subscribers 2008 - 2013
- Table 40 IPTV subscribers 2011 - 2013
- Table 41 Annualised mobile ARPU contract and prepaid 2009 - 2013
- Table 42 Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate 1998 - 2004
- Table 43 Mobile subscribers and penetration rate 2005 - 2014
- Table 44 Mobile subscribers by 2G and 3G platform 2009 - 2012
- Table 45 Mobile market share by operator 2007 - 2013
- Table 46 Mobile traffic 2005 - 2013
- Table 47 European roaming charges 2007 - 2011
- Table 48 Mobile termination rates by operator 2005 2010; 2012
- Table 49 Annual mobile number portings 2006 - 2013
- Table 50 Vodafone Malta subscribers and ARPU 2005 - 2014
- Table 51 GO Malta subscribers 2009 - 2013
- Table 52 GO Malta subscribers 2009 - 2013
- Table 53 Proportion of contract and prepaid subscribers, all operators 2005 - 2013
- Table 54 Prepaid subscribers, all operators 2005 - 2013
- Table 55 SMS messages 2005 - 2013
- Table 56 MMS messages 2006 - 2013
- Table 57 Forecast broadband subscribers higher market growth scenario 2010 - 2012; 2020
- Chart 1 Telecom market value () 2006 2013
- Chart 2 GO Group financial data 2007 - 2013
- Chart 3 GO revenue by sector 2007 2012
- Chart 4 Melita Group financial data 2010 2013
- Chart 5 Fixed lines in service and penetration rate 2001 2013
- Chart 6 Broadband subscriptions by platform 2005 2013
- Chart 7 Broadband market share by operator 2007 2013
- Chart 8 Subscribers to bundled services, by type 2009 2013
- Chart 9 Pay TV subscribers by connection type 2005 2013
- Chart 10 Mobile subscribers and penetration rate 2005 2014
- Chart 11 Mobile market share by operator 2007 2013
- Chart 12 SMS messages 2005 2013
- Exhibit 1 Overview of digital media
- Exhibit 2 Mobile operators and spectrum allocation range
- Exhibit 3 3G licence allocations 2005; 2007