The number of text messages sent by SMS is plummeting every year, indicating that people in Malta are dumping the technology in favour of free chat apps like WhatsApp and Messenger.

According to the Malta Communications Authority (MCA), the average mobile phone user last year sent 267 SMSs, a drop of 52% from 2017.

...could potentially indicate the higher usage of... platforms such as WhatsApp and Messenger- Malta Communications Authority

Over the same period, the number of mobile calls, voice minutes and data use all increased.

As a whole, the country sent 10.7 million fewer SMSs in 2021 than in the previous year, the MCA’s annual report said.

It said this “could potentially indicate the higher usage of... platforms such as WhatsApp and Messenger”, from Meta, the company formerly called Facebook.

The report also indicates another way that people’s smartphone habits are changing.

More time spent on mobile calls

While the average user has only marginally increased the number of mobile phone calls they make each year, the minutes spent on a voice call have increased by more than a quarter.

In 2017, the average subscriber made 774 calls, rising slightly to 786 last year.

However, the number of minutes the average consumer spent on voice calls rose from 1,463 to 1,855.

Overall, mobile voice call minutes were up by 32.4 million last year.

The report says this shows how people are swapping their landlines for mobile phones.

There was a 27% drop last year in the number of minutes and voice calls made on landlines, it said.

The report noted that this “constitutes the biggest year-on-year decline” since 2018 and “reflects the changing consumption patterns when it comes to voice calling”. 

‘Spectacular’ increase in data use

Growth in supply has also resulted in a “spectacular” increase in mobile data consumption, with a 30% rise in domestic mobile data usage in 2021, the report showed.

The reliance on mobile networks to stay connected contributed to the soaring of average data unit per subscription from 53GB in 2020 to 76GB, it highlighted.

By the end of last year, more than 60% of Maltese fixed broadband consumers were subscribed to connections of 100Mbps or higher as the demand for fast and ultra-fast internet keeps trending.

This change materialised against the backdrop of 5G deployment, it pointed out.

The report also showed how the volume of roaming calls increased, as people began to travel again after the lifting of pandemic travel restrictions.

In 2021, the volume of inbound and outbound roaming calls rose by 23.5% and 8.3% respectively.

While the average user has only marginally increased the number of mobile phone calls they make each year, the amount of minutes spent on a voice call has increased by more than a quarter.

The report said that while roaming has “recovered from the effects” of global travel restrictions, it is “not yet near” pre-pandemic levels.

Overall, mobile phone use bounced back in 2021 after experiencing significant uncertainties in 2020, with subscriptions up by 1.9% year-on-year, reaching 644,955 by the end of 2021.

The mobile telephony sector added almost 12,000 new clients, with growth in take-up marked by stronger post-paid plans, driven by the need for data connectivity on the move.

Headline growth was positive for the TV segment as it rose 3.8%, with a pay-TV subscription growth rate of 2.9%, according to the report.

Epic in the leading position

As regards market share, Epic held a leading position by the end of 2021 at 36.9%, slightly ahead of GO’s 36.5%, while Melita’s stood at 25.6%.

Last year, the postal mail segment remained negatively impacted by the effects of the pandemic, which accelerated the shift towards online services, the annual report detailed.

Overall, postal mail volumes in 2021 were down by 3.4% compared to the previous year.

The decline in mail volumes for 2021 was steeper for letters and bulk items, given the shift towards online services, with letter and parcel mail decreasing by 13% and 8.4%, respectively, according to the data.

This ongoing drop continued to be countered by large increases in packets and parcels caused by burgeoning eCommerce services.