The telecom sector continued to expand its subscriber base in the first half of the year, reflecting the increasing dependence on high-speed connectivity, mobile devices, and bundled service plans.
The Malta Communications Authority said that when it analysed year-over-year data, subscriptions for fixed broadband, mobile telephony, and pay-TV maintained their consistent upward trajectory, with respective growth rates of 3.1%, 8.7%, and 3.7% based on figures recorded by the end of June.
The fixed telephony segment saw a modest increase of 0.5%, but voice call and minute volumes dwindled, indicative of evolving communication preferences among users.
Internet subscriptions offering headline download speeds of 500Mbps to 1Gbps or more experienced a notable 12.5% year-on-year increase, highlighting wider availability of fast and ultra-fast internet speeds.
As of June, 38% of internet users enjoyed connections capable of delivering a headline download speed of 500Mbps or more.
Despite the availability of high-speed fixed broadband services, mobile data usage saw a substantial surge in the first half of 2023, spiking by almost 53% compared to the same period in the previous year.
This surge, the MCA said, can be attributed to the shift towards digital communication, as well as the increased reliance on mobile devices for internet access.
In the postal sector, a notable 10.2% decline in mail volumes was observed for the first half of the year when compared to the previous year.
Traditional postal mail volumes, including single-piece letter mail, bulk mail, registered mail, and parcel mail, within the universal service scope, continued to decrease albeit these still comprised by far the biggest share of mail volumes in Malta.
However, outside the universal service scope, volumes surged, particularly for lighter mail items, possibly due to the evolving and growing e-commerce landscape.
High-quality dedicated connections
Dedicated connections are premium, point-to-point data transmission connections commonly utilised by businesses in Malta, including government entities, banks, and gaming companies.
This business segment is niche for local operators, serving a smaller customer base, typically businesses, with well-defined data connectivity needs.
The latter connectivity requirements are distinct to the internet mass-market plans that are also available from the major operators in Malta.
These dedicated connections offer specific features such as no contention ratio, fully symmetrical speeds, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs). By the end of June, there were 326 high-quality dedicated connections, reflecting a rise of 1.9% compared to the same quarter a year ago.