GO to invest over €100 million over next five years

● Data capacity of submarine cables connecting Malta to the world doubled

GO plc yesterday announced that it will be investing more than €100 million in the coming five years to ensure that its infrastructure and systems reflect technological developments and continue to serve the growing demands of the Maltese community and economy.

This investment is additional to a further €240 million, which was invested over the past decade.

These investments have resulted in unprecedented benefits for the Maltese consumer and economy, which is highly dependent on a robust and resilient ICT infrastructure, the company said.

“This new investment programme is already delivering significant results. GO is currently upgrading its two submarine cables that connect Malta with mainland Europe via Sicily. These upgrades, led by a team of GO engineers, are near completion, and will more than double the data capacity of these links.”

During a visit to GO’s Headquarters by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, GO CEO Attila Keszeg said the company has “steadily and consistently invested in Malta’s communications infrastructure and we will continue to do so over the coming five years as we strongly believe in the future of communications services in Malta. Past investments have led to the roll out of FTTH to Maltese homes and a double certification as the fastest and most resilient mobile network in Malta. The national infrastructure, however, is just one part of our story. International connectivity is equally important for Malta’s entire economy and we need to ensure that our international cables have the capacity and resilience to handle the growing data demands of both individuals and businesses. As the only operator in Malta with more than one submarine cable, the doubling of capacity of our existing cables represents a significant step forward in helping Malta to fulfil its vision in the technology and innovation sectors.”

GO said it is also evaluating the feasibility of creating a new link with an existing submarine cable which currently links Tunis with Marseille. This would further strengthen Malta’s international connectivity by further increasing data capacity as well as the security of supply. It would be the first link that is not entirely dependent on mainland Italy.

The Prime Minister lauded GO plc’s role in the Maltese economy and said that the company’s new investment of €100 million shows that the company will continue to strengthen its operations and workforce in the country.