Today’s Newspaper Cuttings
12 January 2016
Today’s online news Timesofmalta.com TV providers say Netflix welcome – GO / Melita Direct Melita welcomes introduction of Netflix – Melita Direct
Other stories in the news
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GO / Melita Direct & Anti maltatoday.com.mt 13 January 2016 € 145
Melita, Go break no sweat over Netflix but users question internet speeds But customers on Facebook question whether internet speeds are being deliberately throttled at night by internet service providers to dissuade them from problem-free streaming of movies and live football Martina Borg 13 January 2016, 7:38am
Netflix‟s global expansion has provoked an exultant welcome from Maltese viewers who find cable and digital terrestrial TV offerings limited at best, and have increasingly turned towards „illegal‟ streaming to watch the latest series and live football matches. There is still a healthy take-up of Melita and GO‟s television packages, which after all are just one
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GO / Melita Direct & Anti maltatoday.com.mt 13 January 2016 € 145
part of their quad-play – internet, TV, fixed and mobile telephony – empires. Total subscribers on pay TV fell slightly from 149,727 in 2011 to 147,880 in 2014. In the first half of 2015, Melita‟s share of total pay TV was 4.4% on analogue cable and 48.3% on digital cable, while GO had 36.8% on its digital terrestrial (DTTV) and 10.5% on its internet protocol TV (IPTV) platforms. GO was the winner in market share with 4.3 percentage points on the up. But key to consumers‟ love of the internet was the fact that 55.1% of pay TV subscriptions in the first half of 2015 were purchased in a bundle, together with internet connectivity. It‟s this part of the Melita and GO product range that Netflix users will depend on for their entertainment. Netflix‟s online streaming service, launched in 2007, has proved one of the most popular of its kind, allowing unlimited streaming access to various TV shows and movies. This week, CEO Reed Hastings announced the service had become available in an additional 130 countries, including Malta. It is no secret that the downloading of torrents through sites such as PirateBay or Kickass, and the use of „Android‟ boxes – which used the former X-Box Media Centre application now called Kodi – has allowed users with fast internet connections to stream their favourite shows and movies. At a cost of between €8 and €12 a month, Netflix is the first properly legal streaming service on the island. And that‟s why Melita and GO have claimed that the new service will not affect subscription numbers. Both said Netflix was “complementary” to their own services, primarily because users would still require fast internet connections in order to enjoy the new service. A question of speed Over 150,000 in Malta pay for fixed broadband, with close to 90,000 opting for speeds of 30Mbps or more. Year-on-year, the number of connections supporting download speeds of 30Mbps or more was up by almost 19,000 (or by almost 27%), whilst the number of connections supporting download speeds lower than 30Mbps was down by 12,250. In North America, Netflix accounts for about 35% of all Internet traffic, surpassing other popular
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GO / Melita Direct & Anti maltatoday.com.mt 13 January 2016 € 145
services such as YouTube. Essentially, although the service will eclipse the tired show re-reruns on Fox and FoxLife (latest movies on GO Stars and Melita Movies come at a premium), the two providers will still be selling the broadband that will carry the video that Netflix offers. Netflix says that speed recommendations can be as low as 0.5 megabits per second for connection and 3Mbps for SD quality streaming, and as high as 25Mbps for ultra HD quality, but „just‟ 5Mbps for HD streaming. Movies and TV shows that are available in high definition will play in 720p or better with a fast enough. But on Facebook, Melita is being pushed hard on its claims that it offers fast broadband that prospective Netflix users will need to enjoy their streaming experience. One user, Claude Spiteri, leveled an oft-repeated charge that the company throttles internet speeds at late hours of the day when streaming tends to be more frequent. “Considering Melita lower their speeds after 7pm every single day, Netflix and all the best companies in the world can come to Malta, but if you have Melita you wouldn‟t be able to stream it – „cos their internet is hopeless! And yes I tried everything and I verified personally that you lower your speeds in the evening.” Melita replied back, telling Spiteri that it was not the case that it reduced evening speeds, inviting the user to use independent speed tests such as Ookla, a mobile-based speed checker. Spiteri came back saying that speed test would easily verify Melita‟s 30Mpbs speed. “But when I watch a film that is not through Maltese servers or a match, the speed with foreign VPS magically goes down from 30 to 2Mbps. Yeah sorry I‟m not that stupid.” Melita defended itself saying it was investing in its network, with average speeds for customers having gone up from 5Mbps to over 30Mbps in the last years. Another user, Paul Portelli, claimed that since two months ago, his speeds had reduced drastically between 6pm and 11:30pm. “The technician came to my house twice and I always get the same response. There are no problems and when the speed is tested on speedtest.net, it says its 30Mbps.
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GO / Melita Direct & Anti maltatoday.com.mt 13 January 2016 € 145
The slowness in my connection is very evident after this time. I‟ve made multiple calls to customer support and sent multiple emails as well, but the problem was never fixed. Unfortunately, after years of service with very few problems, I‟m going to have to switch to the only other available option.” The joys of guilt-free streaming Making a murderer The tragic story of Two Rivers, Wisconsin-native Steven Avery. After serving 18 years in prison for a horrific sexual assault and attempted murder crime he maintains he never committed, new evidence exonerates Avery, making him a free man. He sues Manitowoc County for a whopping $36 million in damages. However, shortly after filing the lawsuit, Avery‟s name is once again tied to a grisly crime.
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GO / Melita Direct & Anti maltatoday.com.mt 13 January 2016 â‚Ź 145
House of Cards The Netflix-produced series is one of the best political dramas since The West Wing. The show revolves around protagonist Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey), the U.S. Senate Majority Whip who uses every political secret and inch of his clout to dethrone enemies and leverage his way to the top.
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GO / Melita Direct & Anti maltatoday.com.mt 13 January 2016 â‚Ź 145
Narcos The latest Netflix-produced piece of content to grace subscribing TV sets is Narcos, a chronicled take on the story of Colombian drug kingpin, Pablo Escobar. With its fast-paced style of storytelling, brilliant acting, and the fact the show was filmed on-location in Colombia, the series appears to be yet another impressive win for the massive streaming company.
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Melita Direct independent.com.mt 14 January 2016 â‚Ź 145
Melita announces new senior appointment Thursday, 14 January 2016, 13:07
Melita has announced a new appointment within its senior management team as part of its continuous drive to support the company's growth. Mr. Malcolm Briffa has been appointed to the position of Director of Business Services. In his experience with Melita he previously occupied various roles including Director of Customer Experience and PR, Director of Strategic Projects and Head of Marketing. In this new role, Mr Briffa will be responsible for the development of telecommunications services and solutions for business customers, ranging from traditional telecommunications services to tailor made fibre connectivity across Malta and Gozo, international links, multi-line telephony and mobile services. Following Melita's investment to build Malta's largest data centre, Mr Briffa will also be responsible to attract local and international clients to make use of the company's co-location and data centre facilities as a main hub or disaster recovery site.
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Melita Direct independent.com.mt 14 January 2016 â‚Ź 145
"I am delighted to welcome Malcolm in his new senior role at Melita. He brings years of experience in the telecom industry, working his way up the ranks within the company. His role will be pivotal in the implementation of Melita's growth strategy for individual and corporate business customers as well as developing Melita's state-of-the-art data centre into a thriving hub of activity. This appointment underlines Melita's special commitment to enhance communications, product offerings and relationships with the business community", said Mr Andrei Torriani, Melita's Chief Executive Officer. Melita is Malta's leading provider of next generation broadband, fixed and wireless connectivity services, and owns and operates Malta's largest data centre facility built to Tier 3 specifications. Through its advanced converged nationwide network reaching over 99 percent of the dwellings in Malta, Melita serves the growing telecommunication needs of small and large businesses along with leading positions in the broadband, Pay-TV and mobile consumer markets. The company's redundant submarine fiber cables connecting Malta to mainland Europe, provide high quality connectivity to Malta's growing financial, online and technology service providers, through its Milan based peering capabilities to the world's leading connectivity providers.
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Melita Direct maltatoday.com.mt 14 January 2016 â‚Ź 145
Melita announces new senior appointment Malcolm Briffa has been appointed to the position of Director of Business Services 14 January 2016, 10:47am
Melita has announced a new appointment within its senior management team as part of its continuous drive to support the company’s growth. Malcolm Briffa has been appointed to the position of Director of Business Services. In his experience with Melita he previously occupied various roles including Director of Customer Experience and PR, Director of Strategic Projects and Head of Marketing. In this new role, Briffa will be responsible for the development of telecommunications services and solutions for business customers, ranging from traditional telecommunications services to tailor made fibre connectivity across Malta and Gozo, international links, multi-line telephony and mobile services.
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Melita Direct maltatoday.com.mt 14 January 2016 € 145
Following Melita’s investment to build Malta’s largest data centre, Briffa will also be responsible to attract local and international clients to make use of the company’s co-location and data centre facilities as a main hub or disaster recovery site. “I am delighted to welcome Malcolm in his new senior role at Melita. He brings years of experience in the telecom industry, working his way up the ranks within the company. His role will be pivotal in the implementation of Melita’s growth strategy for individual and corporate business customers as well as developing Melita’s state-of-the-art data centre into a thriving hub of activity. "This appointment underlines Melita’s special commitment to enhance communications, product offerings and relationships with the business community”, said Andrei Torriani, Melita’s Chief Executive Officer. Melita is Malta’s leading provider of next generation broadband, fixed and wireless connectivity services, and owns and operates Malta’s largest data centre facility built to Tier 3 specifications. Through its advanced converged nationwide network reaching over 99 percent of the dwellings in Malta, Melita serves the growing telecommunication needs of small and large businesses along with leading positions in the broadband, Pay-TV and mobile consumer markets. The company’s redundant submarine fiber cables connecting Malta to mainland Europe, provide high quality connectivity to Malta’s growing financial, online and technology service providers, through its Milan-based peering capabilities to the world’s leading connectivity providers.
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Melita Direct timesofmalta.com 14 January 2016 € 230
Thursday, January 14, 2016, 10:44
Melita announces new senior appointment
Melita has appointed Malcolm Briffa as Director of Business Services after serving as Director of Customer Experience and PR, Director of Strategic Projects and Head of Marketing. In this new role, Mr Briffa will be responsible for the development of telecommunications services and solutions for business customers, ranging from traditional telecommunications services to tailor made fibre connectivity across Malta and Gozo, international links, multi-line telephony and mobile services. Following Melita’s investment to build Malta’s largest data centre, Mr Briffa will also be responsible to attract local and international clients to make use of the company’s co-location and data centre facilities as a main hub or disaster recovery site. “I am delighted to welcome Malcolm in his new senior role at Melita. He brings years of experience in the telecom industry, working his way up the ranks within the company. His role will be pivotal in the implementation of Melita’s growth strategy for individual and corporate business customers as well as developing Melita’s state-of-the-art data centre into a thriving hub of activity. This appointment underlines Melita’s special commitment to enhance communications, product offerings and relationships with the business community”, said Mr Andrei Torriani, Melita’s Chief Executive Officer.
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Melita Direct timesofmalta.com 17 January 2016 € 230
Sunday, January 17, 2016, 00:01
Company briefs
New director of business services appointed at Melita Melita has announced the appointment of Malcolm Briffa as director of business services. In his experience with Melita he previously occupied various roles including director of customer experience and PR, director of strategic projects and head of marketing. In this new role, Mr Briffa will be responsible for the development of telecommunications services and solutions for business customers, ranging from traditional telecommunications services to tailor made fibre connectivity across Malta and Gozo, international links, multi-line telephony and mobile services. Following Melita’s investment to build Malta’s largest data centre, Mr Briffa will also be responsible to attract local and international clients to make use of the company’s co-location and data centre facilities as a main hub or disaster recovery site. “Malcolm’s role will be pivotal in the implementation of Melita’s growth strategy for individual and corporate business customers as well as developing Melita’s state-of-the-art data centre into a thriving hub of activity. This appointment underlines Melita’s special commitment to enhance communications, product offerings and relationships with the business community,” said Andrei Torriani, Melita’s CEO.