Mobile phone contracts have the tendency of becoming confusing and not transparent to the end user. All three local operators offer similar contracts, offering a certain number of free calls and free SMS to either numbers of their network, selected numbers or sometimes to other networks. Unfortunately, the end user has no information to which…
Category: Communications
my first experience with the iPad
Using the iPhone now almost two years, I was very curious to get hold of the iPad, to see if that tablet thing is as good as it has been advertised. I am using it now since more than a week, and I must admit that I am positively impressed. I have since abandoned my…
After two years of often bitter debate, the European Parliament approved a raft of new telecom laws.
After two years of often bitter debate, the European Parliament approved a raft of new telecom laws. Majority support for the package was achieved after the Parliament reached a compromise with national governments earlier this month on the controversial issue of illegal file sharing over the Internet. The laws are designed to give European citizens…
Go abroad if you want to save on your international SMS
Why is it more expensive to send a SMS from Malta to another E.U. country (eur 0.23) than from another E.U. country to Malta (eur 0.13)? Why is a German for example charged eur 0.13 for a SMS to Germany while a Maltese is charged eur 0.23 for the same SMS? This questions remains unanswered…
Internet interruption of several hours
Once again the Malta Communication Authority (MCA) is urged to strengthen the regulation of internet provision of in Malta. As already happened in August 2008, recent events have shown how fragile the current provision of internet in Malta can be. Despite having increased the number of cables connecting to the international internet grid, it is…
AD welcomes consumer protection regulations in mobile telephony
Following new EU regulations regarding mobile telephony, Prof. Arnold Cassola, AD Chairperson, said:’Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party, welcomes the introduction of the new EU roaming regulation proposed by the European Commission in September 2008 and approved by the European Parliament in April 2009. The new EU Roaming Regulation makes sure that the prices for…
EU seals mobile roaming deal ahead of summer period
Prices of mobile phone calls made between EU countries will be further lowered as of July this year, according to an agreement sealed yesterday (24 March) over the EU’s so-called ‘roaming regulation’. As part of the deal, however, telecoms companies will still be able to subject users to an initial charging period of 30 seconds, which should enable operators…
Does the airspace belong to everyone?
Since a week, we are out of internet at the office in Sliema. As we are using the wireless internet provided by Vanilla, we climbed on our roof to check the connection of our antenna just to realize that as a new building has been finished in Tower Road/Bisazza street, we have lost our connection…
Mobile phone prepaid time window
Simon Busuttil has published today an article in The Times regarding his enquiry at the E.U. Commission about the mobile prepaid time window in Malta. The Commission made it clear that it is for the national authorities and/or national courts to determine whether specific practices in Malta constitute unfair (and, therefore, illegal) practices. So the…
Reply received from the E.U. regarding the prepaid mobile time window
E-5323/08EN Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission (22.12.2008) The question of the Honourable Member concerns the time period within which credit must be used by pre-paid subscribers in Malta. The issue of time windows for mobile top-up cards was already addressed in the Commission’s reply to written question E-0182/071. This issue is particularly…