Updated 4.55pm
Telecoms company Epic has started the roll-out of a new fibre network which it says will see users benefit from download speeds of up to 2000Mbps.
Company officials said at a press conference that the service, which will initially be available to addresses in Mosta, will offer internet download speeds that have never been available in Malta up to now.
Fibre internet connections use optic fibre cabling to transfer data at speeds higher than traditional copper connections. Service is restricted to neighbourhoods where such cabling is available.
GO and fellow provider Melita already offer fibre internet services, albeit capped at a 1000 Mbps maximum download speed.
Epic's predecessor, Vodafone, had first announced its plans to provide fibre services in 2018 using the cabling network laid by rival telecoms firm GO. Epic bought out Vodafone Malta in 2020.
The fibre service Epic has announced is however unrelated to Vodafone's agreement with GO and uses cabling laid down by Epic itself.
Contracts for Epic's 2000 Mbps service will start at €24.99 per month.
The company said that a report by the Malta Communications Authority, published this month, found that close to half of broadband connections in Malta are still slower than 100 Mbps. The average broadband price in Malta has increased by 10 per cent since 2016, the report also found.
Epic said it wanted to accelerate local take-up of Gigabit internet connections - defined as connections with speeds of 1000 Mbps or faster.
"The company will do so by offering 20 times faster speeds than a basic 100Mbps Fibre internet connection available in the market today. This is also double the top speed from other broadband providers," it said.
For business customers, Epic is launching a special package with double the upload speeds and Dedicated Business Support.
Epic also displayed its new Fibre Box which boasts of a Future WIFI experience, advanced multimedia features and is made up of 100% recycled plastic.
Economy Minister Silvio Schembri remarked how through its chain of investment in Malta’s state-of-the-art digital infrastructure, Epic, together with their shareholders, Monaco telecom, will be focusing on strengthening their workforce through the creation of new job opportunities, more student internships programmes, flexible working conditions and continuous growth and learning prospects for their 300+ workforce.
He welcomed the extension of Epic’s investments in Malta, which, he said, will continue to strengthen Malta’s attractiveness and competitiveness thanks to higher speeds and more reliable connectivity.