Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1231020
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 APRIL 2020 NEWS Smartphone usage: mobile data pushes growth THE monthly spend for mobile phone data is increasing every year, yet few smartphone users are really aware of how much more they are spending each year. Mobile phone usage has increased expo- nentially, a survey by the Malta Communi- cations Authority has found... nothing less than 99% of all households having a mobile subscription. Compared to 2017, take-up of mobile te- lephony was now strongest in the post-paid segment, up from 35% to 41% because of the increased reliance on mobile data ser- vices. Indeed, the share of respondents with a smartphone was up from 66% in 2017 to 71% in 2019. The monthly smartphone spend has in- creased since 2017, when around 83% of mobile phone subscribers reported a monthly spend of €20. That percentage has fallen to 55% in 2019, where now the share of respondents quoting a monthly spend of up to €49.99 has grown from 10% to 23%. There was a three percentage point rise in the share of subscriptions quoting a '€50 or more' monthly expenditure. However, a bigger chunk of respondents say they do not know their monthly ex- penditure, most likely a result of the rising number of respondents on a post-paid sub- scription, which tends to be paid via direct debit. Around 55% of respondents with a mobile subscription said they are aware of and use mobile data services, with a considerable share saying they use such services on a daily basis. The biggest use is for social networking and emailing activities. Usage of wifi plays a key role in the demand pat- terns for mobile data ser- vices with 46% of mobile data users say they use free public wifi to access mobile data services. Maria Pisani: This is a poverty issue, not strictly a migration issue Usage of wifi plays a key role in the demand patterns for mobile data services with 46% of mobile data users say they use free public wifi to access mobile data services children who were faced with de- portation because their parents were not earning enough to keep them here". Yet the human element has not been entirely absent in the crisis. Some migrants who talked to MaltaToday expressed gratitude to employers who have treated them kindly, going to great lengths to keep them in employment, despite seeing a drop in sales. But even these recount stories of friends who were the first to be sacked as soon as things started going south. While so far it has been largely business-as-usual in the construc- tion industry, with many migrants keeping their jobs, those plying for makeshift jobs on a daily basis are now finding it much harder to sur- vive. Even in the catering sector, some employers – including big fast food chains who had an infrastructure in place that allowed for a smooth transition to deliveries – have kept their staff including migrants. But others, like smaller restaurants, which had to close down due to a lack of funds, could not afford to keep their staff. Nagmi Eldin, a Sudanese migrant who currently follows an engi- neering course at the University of Malta, refers to the uncertainty on whether asylum seekers are eligible for the €800 Euro when they lose their job. Employers are sending them the form to make them el- igible for the benefit but some are finding it difficult to complete it for the simple reason they do not pos- sess all the documentation required. Many have also stopped sending remissions back home. "Desperate measures in desperate times… But our families back home understand the situation here," Nagmi said. Social distancing when living with many others But apart from facing economic uncertainties, migrants are also the most exposed to the risks of infec- tion in their daily lives. Nagmi described hygiene as "a big problem" not just in closed and open centres, but also in shared overcrowded flats. "If you stay at home with many others, you may self-isolate yourself as much as you like but you can't control what others do: they may go out and get infected even if you are in self isolation. You feel exposed all the time." Moreover, self-isolation is also difficult because of limited storage space. "It is difficult to minimise travels to the supermarket, especially when it comes to buying essentials with a short shelf-life, like milk. Moreover, storage space is limited so you can- not just buy in bulk, which means frequent supermarket visits." If you are studying and have to fol- low lectures online, it is also difficult to focus. While many families are struggling to telework while their children are doing their homework, this verges on the impossible in a shared environment where every- one is busy doing different things. Despite the partial lockdown, mi- grants obviously remain more visi- ble on the streets than other people. "Very few people realize that apart from living in over-crowded crazy conditions, in many cases they have to get out first thing in the morn- ing and are not allowed back till late as in after work," Patricia Graham notes. The risk of homelessness When asked about the difficulty faced in paying rent, Nagmi warns that the situation may degenerate over the next few weeks. "Many are still coping until now… But if the situation persists for an- other two months, things would get very difficult for many." Activists who spoke to MaltaTo- day referred to reports of an in- crease in homelessness, especially among those who are unemployed and who can no longer afford to pay exorbitant rents. Evictions are my "biggest head- ache" says Patricia Graham who expects landlords to be more con- siderate. "I mean… seriously, do they think they are going to rent right now? What's the point of leaving the place empty and perhaps even vulnerable to security concerns?" She is also disappointed at the lack of willingness to allow tenants to use their deposits for this month's rent, until things get back to normal. "But this is not surprising, as we of course know those deposits are very rarely returned". One problem experienced by homeless migrants is that shelters are not accepting new people be- cause of the COVID-19 situation, in which people are only being tested if they experience symptoms of the disease. In such cases, it is impera- tive that anyone entering the shelter is tested beforehand. But the sit- uation is being resolved, with dis- cussions under way to ensure that everyone requesting shelter is test- ed beforehand. The digital divide Migration activist Maria Pisani from Integra Foundation, refers to access to education as a problem faced by all low-income groups in- cluding asylum seekers and refu- gees. "This is a poverty issue, not strictly a migration issue". Families who do not have access to the internet at home are cut off from the flow of information, some- thing which can be deadly in cur- rent circumstances. "This is always a problem but is intensified by the current situation, as most learning is done online. The digital divide kicks in… children liv- ing in poverty face larger barriers". While acknowledging that the Migrant Learners' Unit is doing everything possible to reach out to these categories, Pisani stresses that "there are structural barriers which impact the poorest and children of refugees fall in this category". And while migrant and refu- gee-led organisations are doing lots of work, reaching out, providing information for those living in the community, "because most servic- es have gone online, access to this information is difficult due to lack of access to the internet… which is not a luxury… our collective health security depends on access to the internet for all." jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt