Mur Lura
Speech by the Hon. Censu Galea, Minister for Transport and Communications, at the inauguration of the Communications and IT Fair, organised by Insite - University of Malta – 4 December 2001
pr1844
05/12/2001
05/12/2001
| As Minister of Transport and Telecommunications it gives me great | satisfaction to deliver the opening remarks at this very important Fair. |
| One area that has certainly seen a positive upswing | in Malta in the last year is the telecommunications sector. Recently published statistics by the National Statistics Office about the state of our Information Society reveal that Malta has experienced what can only be described as a telecommunications revolution. |
| Thanks to the implementation of a well thought out | comprehensive Government telecommunications policy, thousands of Maltese and Gozitans, including students, are now benefiting from lower tariffs and better service in this sector. Above all else the changes that are taking place in the telecommunications sector are contributing to the goal of creating a more consumer-oriented economy. |
| Even when one takes into consideration that the | statistics available are sometimes are still works in progress due to data that is continuously being tabulated, there is no denying the dynamism of this sector. The most important indicator in the local scene is the considerable increase in the number of mobile phone subscriptions. Nearly 50% of the population owns a mobile phone. This is an incredible increase when compared to 6.3% at the end of 1999. |
| Other sectors have experienced more moderate | penetration rates. Satellite receiver licenses have increased by 74% during 2000 from 2697 to 4695, while Internet subscriptions are on the increase. |
| In the PC sector Malta has had a higher penetration | rate than Greece, Portugal and Spain and is on level with Italy when compared to the EU-15 in 1999. When compared to the Central and Eastern European candidate countries during the same period Malta has the second highest penetration rate after Slovenia. With regards to the Internet, the subscription rate is now about 32 % of the population; with the main thrust of expansion coming from the broadband sector. |
| Continuous reforms in the telecommunications sector | in the months to come will ensure that Malta positions itself on a level playing field with its European counterparts in the information age. As Malta moves closer to European Union membership, a state of the art telecommunications infrastructure will allow all of us to compete more actively for business and thus foster our prosperity. |
| When compared to the European Union fifteen-member | states, the increase in 2000 has already moved Malta towards the EU-15 average. Malta is also well on track to outpace the other Central and Eastern European countries that are seeking EU membership. |
| The fact that so many individuals have decided to | take advantage of the versatile services that mobile communications offer is a clear indication that given the chance, all sectors of society, but students in particular, are quick to exploit new technologies to cope with the changing regional and international scene. It is this dynamic and forward looking approach that will guarantee a better standard of living in the global village that we live in today, not the myopic perspective that some continue to advocate. |
| Given the opportunity, it is clear that Malta and | Gozo are more than able (first in Europe fully digitalized telephony network since 1993; public Internet services since 1995) to adapt to the changes that are taking place in the world. They are already starting to take advantage of the opportunities that a more open information society and economy has to offer. |
| A few weeks ago the European Commission announced the | results of the evaluation of projects submitted within the EUMEDIS (Euro-Mediterranean Information Society) programme. |
| DG AIDCO has notified the successful EUMEDIS project | representatives, a total of 16 of them, to prepare procedures for finalising the signing of a contract between them and the European Union. The 16 projects that have been selected will be financed by the E.U. |
| A quick analysis of the 16 proposals selected shows | that a very wide representation of the Euro-Mediterranean members will be participating in the implementation stage of this programme. The Mediterranean partner countries represent over 50% of the partners and success rates vary around 20 to 30% per country in general. |
| Malta has done extremely well in the EUMEDIS | evaluation exercise with as many as nine representative bodies participating in the successful projects chosen. |
| The main objective of the Government of Malta will | continue to be management of a responsible process of further telecommunications deregulation and liberalization in Malta. This policy of systematic privatization, deregulation and liberalization is a fundamental pillar of the transformation that needs to take place if Malta is to throw off the shackles of a protectionist past once and for all. This is also an essential step if Malta is to compete in the borderless world that we live in. |
| I am sure that your initiative will be a successful | one and thank you for providing me with this opportunity to share with some insight into developments that are taking place in Malta’s telecommunications sector. |
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