Consultation to cut cost of high-speed electronic communications launched

Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth Josè Herrera, has launched a national consultation on the transposition of an EU Directive into national law.

“The directive is aimed at reducing the cost of deploying high-speed electronic communications networks and it is aimed at facilitating and incentivising the roll-out of such networks by reducing costs through the sharing of existing network infrastructures and increasing co-ordination, amongst several entities, in relation to this deployment,” the statement reads, adding that the initiative is intended to lower barriers to roll-out, both in terms of cost, and physical deployment.

Herrera said that the proliferation, on a national scale, of high-speed broadband networks is an objective of primary importance that is shared by the Maltese Government and the EU in equal measure.

The EU Commission has set two ambitious broadband targets to be achieved by 2020, namely: 30 megabits per second (Mbps) broadband speeds available to 100% of households, and at least having 50% of these households subscribing to speeds over 100Mbps.

“Malta has already reached the 30Mbps objective, however more needs to be done in order to reach the 100Mbps uptake target,” Herrera said at a press conference earlier today.

Beyond the numbers, take-up of high speed broadband is felt to be a necessary target with a view to accelerating the development of society and of the economy,” he said adding that facilitating the deployment of multiple next generation access networks, will contribute towards its attainment by increasing choice and overall lowering sector costs.