As at the end of September, subscriptions to all forms of communication technology, except fixed telephony, registered an increase when compared to the corresponding period last year.

Internet, analogue and digital subscriptions

During the reference quarter, the internet subscription index rose by 9.7 per cent, from 150.1 to 164.6, when compared to the corresponding period last year.

Statistics on internet subscriptions reveal a continuously diminishing trend in the number of active narrowband (dial-up) internet subscriptions, which are rapidly declining, with subscribers shifting to broadband internet. In fact, the number of active narrowband subscriptions fell by more than 90 per cent, while broadband subscriptions increased by 10.4 per cent. Furthermore, as at the end of the third quarter of 2010, 98.9 per cent of broadband subscribers had a connection speed of at least 2 Mbps.

The television subscription index went up by 4.6 per cent when compared to 2009 levels. The number of television analogue subscriptions halved, while those relating to digital subscriptions advanced by 22.9 per cent. Digital subscriptions amounted to 88.2 per cent of overall subscriptions

Telecommunications

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions edged down to 245,631, with a resulting drop in the fixed telephony subscription index of 0.4 per cent. Consequently, the total fixed originating minutes to national networks registered a slight decrease over the comparative quarter in 2009. The number of minutes directed towards an international network reached 14.3 million.

During the third quarter of 2010, the absolute number of mobile telephone subscriptions reached 455,840, an increase of 9.0 per cent when compared to last year. Subscriptions to post-paid schemes stood at 84,808, while pre-paid scheme subscriptions stood at 371,032. The mobile penetration rate per 100 persons in the population amounted to 109.8 per cent, implying that a considerable number of mobile subscribers in Malta and Gozo have more than one account. Local originating mobile traffic and outbound roaming all registered increases when compared to the corresponding period in 2009. On the other hand, drops were recorded in outgoing MMS traffic and inbound roaming-incoming visitors minutes.

Post and couriers

Total postal traffic for the third quarter of 2010 amounted to around 10.6 million items, an increase of 1.7 per cent when compared to the corresponding quarter in 2009. Total parcels and other items were recorded at 16,134, a decrease of 11.7 per cent when compared to the third quarter of 2009.

Items received and dispatched by couriers amounted to 114,812 – up by 13.0 per cent when compared to the corresponding quarter last year.

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