31 May - 6 June 2001

Initial trials for TV over ADSL

by a staff reporter

Maltacom are currently carrying out technical trials which could lead to the provision of television over its ADSL network in the coming months.
Maltacom chairman Maurice Zarb Adami said the company was aware that Melita Cable Television’s monopoly for the provision of cable television comes to an end tomorrow and the market becomes fully liberalised.
“What we are testing is not cable television but a new transport method which allows television to be broadcast over ADSL,” he said.
Maltacom’s chairman said the company was still assessing the technology and will wait till the testing phase is completed. “We are now carrying out trials on 12 different television sets but we will have to increase this to 1,000 before we can launch the service.”
Mr Zarb Adami said Maltacom was interested in competing in any area of telecommunications, added that he hoped the service could be launched for consumers next year.
Maltacom still has to see whether it will have to apply for a licence from the Communications Authority, the Broadcasting Authority or the Wireless and Telegraphy Department.
Meanwhile, Maltacom chief executive officer Stephen Muscat told The Malta Business Weekly that the technical trials have already given the company between four to eight megabits and this is good for television broadcast quality.
“We will continue to carry out tests and in test locations which are further away from our exchanges. Afterwards we will examine our commercial plans to launch the system for our customers,” he said.
Mr Muscat said the system was shown to interested businesses last week.