Mobile services grew in popularity as fixed line connections and older technologies continue to dwindle, data from the first half of this year shows.

Subscriptions to both mobile and fixed-line internet services increased by 4% from June 2021 to the same month this year, according to a report published on Monday by the Malta Communications Authority (MCA).

However, despite higher interest in internet services across the board, customers increasingly preferred mobile services, with 34,801 million megabits consumed every second in the first half of this year, up 52% from the same period last year.

Customers are also increasingly opting for higher-speed fixed connections. New subscriptions to connections of 500Mbps and above surged by 207%, while subscriptions to connections offering speeds of 100Mbps to 500Mbps were down 35%.

While high-speed subscriptions increased, high-quality dedicated connections usually used by government entities, banks and gaming companies registered a slight decline.

In general, interest in older technologies, including postal services and terrestrial television markedly reduced, the latter showing a decrease of 49%. Terrestrial television is gradually being wound down as broadcasters prepare to phase the technology out.

The public appears to be increasingly reliant on internet services, with recorded mail registering the most significant year-on-year drop, down 49% in the first half of this year compared to 2021.

While the delivery of parcels weighing less than 2kg decreased by 7.2%, those above 2kg increased by 11.3%, possibly reflecting increased reliance on online shopping.

Correction December 12, 2022: A previous version stated that 34,801 million megabytes were consumed last year. The figure is in megabits.