Epic is building the strongest network ever in Malta to enhance its network access for over 250,000 customers.
The telecommunications company has been developing its network in several villages, with the most recent being Mellieħa, Tarxien and Għajnsielem. The effects of this development can already be felt by several clients residing in these areas.
Malta’s population has been growing steadily each year. According to the latest statistics published earlier this year by the National Statistics Office, Malta’s population was at 516,100 inhabitants by the end of 2020.
Several villages, which were previously more rural, such as Mellieħa, have in recent years gone through significant urbanisation. This has brought about several challenges for telecommunications companies, particularly during the summer months.
Being one of the main reasons for the need to modernise the network, Epic has conducted major changes to the network architecture in Mellieħa and also in other villages over the past few months, with the aim of enhancing network coverage and increase capacity.
Epic’s network modernisation programme is an overhaul of its mobile access network and it involves the replacement of network infrastructure and technology to increase mobile network capacity, improve indoor coverage and deploy the latest mobile network technology in Malta.
The increase in urbanisation has posed new challenges on the capacity of mobile networks and network coverage
Additionally, the network modernisation programme aims to strengthen the backhaul network and roll out additional Epic Fibre sites to meet the current and future capacity demands. The network modernisation programme is seeing an investment worth more than €40 million, that will pave the way for stronger 5G.
“The increase in urbanisation of several towns and villages around Malta and Gozo has posed new challenges on the capacity of mobile networks and network coverage, particularly indoors. This is further impacted by modern construction materials which affect indoor coverage,” Mario Cordina, Epic’s head of mobile access networks, explains.
“Epic’s network modernisation programme is intended to address these new challenges with the deployment of stronger network infrastructure, technology and other techniques aimed to enhance the indoor coverage all over the Maltese islands.”
The upgrade in these localities is part of a long-term programme.
Epic’s modernisation programme started off with the announcement of the recent strategic partnership that Epic struck with Phoenix Tower International (PTI). This was followed by the recent announcement that Ericsson has been selected as Epic’s exclusive 5G radio access network (RAN) provider, bringing the wide-reaching benefits of Epic 5G to Malta. As part of the new partnership, Epic will use Ericsson’s technology leadership to fully modernise its existing network.
In the coming months, Epic will continue implementing the next generation network architecture that will allow it to achieve its long-term strategic objective: that of building Malta’s strongest network by providing technology that is generations ahead, merged with superfast speeds at the comfort of Epic clients’ fingertips.
For more information, visit www.epic.com.mt/network/.