Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1265531
02.07.2020 7 INTERVIEW part of the Mediterranean. But for a digital economy to really thrive it needs three things. First it needs the infrastructure. Secondly it needs the right start ups to drive digital innovation, and last, it needs digital talent. We are experts in infrastructure design, plan- ning and rollout. rough 'GO Ventures' we have set up access to capital to fund budding start-ups in a number of digi- tally driven sectors. We are now look- ing into investing further in education to create a larger pool of digitally skilled talent on the island. Our business is a long game. How one plays the game is more important that the short-term results one achieves. If we are to continue being a major player in this evolving environment, our focus is about doing the many things the right way so that the gains add up over the longer term. Of the projects GO is currently working on, what do you consider to be a personal pet project that you absolutely want to see delivered? When you love what you do, every project becomes a pet project. It is hard for me to pinpoint one, especially when everything we do is aimed at delighting our customers, driving better returns for our shareholders, and creating more learning opportunities for us as individ- uals. We are doing a lot of great work in terms of improving our overall customer experience, digitising the company and rolling out our TrueFibre network – all of which I have full faith in my team that we will deliver successfully. One project that I am truly excited about right now is related to remote working. e past few months have been a great test of this as close to 75% of the organisation has been successfully working remotely. e ad- vantages of teleworking are different de- pending on the individual. However, we carried out an internal survey amongst our staff on remote working. e results were encouraging. Many reported increases in productivity, the time saved from not having to commute to and from the office, the freedom to work in the hours when you are at your most productive as some of the advan- tages of teleworking and overall meeting effectiveness, despite not meeting phys- ically. So, this is definitely a great oppor- tunity to offer increased flexibility to our workforce whilst also reducing our car- bon footprint as a company. So whilst I definitely want to move toward a 'remote first' way of working, I also want to en- sure that we strike the right balance be- tween office and remote working whilst ensuring that our workforce is happy with our decisions and our operations continue working smoothly GO has invested millions to roll out this True Fibre nation-wide network. Why was that such a priority for the company? And how has true fibre changed the customers' experience? True Fibre is one of GO's largest capital investments and one which confirms our position as the biggest investor in Malta's digital infrastructure. We are very proud of the fact that we are the only operator that is delivering True Fibre technology straight to our customer's living room. True Fibre is the best technology avail- able, capable of delivering data at the speed of light and there is nothing scien- tifically faster than that. It will set the na- tion up for its technology needs for hun- dreds of years to come. But rolling out this technology is not as straight forward as one may think. e complexities are huge as we depend on several third par- ties for permits and other legalities dur- ing the planning stage. Implementation is equally hard. To give you an idea, the roll-out of TrueFibre in one post-code area takes an average of 100 days, and this after all the planning and coordina- tion with numerous entities across the island to ensure all legalities are in place. We are dedicating every resource pos- sible to expedite the rollout as much as possible. Rest assured that our custom- ers' frustrations are our frustrations. In an ideal world, we would have the entire nation covered yesterday, but this is liter- ally impossible. One must consider that this is not just about True Fibre rollout. Concurrently we are also maintaining our existing copper network and fixing faults that on most occasions are caused by third party contractors. So, complet- ing our TrueFibre nationwide network sooner means that more customers can benefit from this technology, and we can start gaining further efficiencies by maintaining less networks. is not- withstanding, we are making significant inroads. e results obtained to date are the result of a passionate and committed team of over 100 individuals solely ded- icated to the roll out of the project on a full-time basis. There is much hype and talk about 5G, with pros and cons highlighted, according to whom you listen to. Where does GO – and you personally – stand on the issue? 5G has been on the cards for some time now. We have been preparing for this eventuality, and our plans are ready to activate when, and if, the time comes. Certain preparations that will support 5G have already taken place, such as in- vesting to have our mobile base stations connected via optical fibre. However, whether we roll out 5G is de- pendent on several factors, such as spec- trum allocation, network rollout and the availability of 5G compatible handsets on the market. As I explained previously, we want to ensure that our customers fo- cus on who and what to connect to, and not how. Our priority is that customers remain connected, in an efficient and re- liable way, at the speeds that match their needs. What is it that distinguishes GO from other telco providers in Malta? GO is a company that has its roots deeply engrained in Maltese history. We have been connecting people and busi- nesses for the past 45 years and have been instrumental in Malta's econom- ic and social development. As Malta's foremost telecoms company, we are an intrinsic part of Malta's social fabric and this is what keeps us investing in the nation's infrastructure. Our purpose is beyond profit. We want to be a compa- ny that really leaves a positive impact on society, on our shareholders, employees, and customers. We have been and shall continue to be one of Malta's largest in- vestors – our aim is to keep striving to take Malta and its digital needs well into the future. How did GO fare during the COVID-19 pandemic? How did the company reach out to its customers in these difficult times? COVID-19 was an opportunity for us to showcase what we do best: keeping Mal- ta connected and leaving no one behind in the process. As businesses switched to remote working, schooling went on- line and families had to ensure they re- mained safe, everyone had one common need: to stay connected. Amidst all the isolation, technology has been the one driving force keeping the whole commu- nity connected and we feel truly privi- leged that thanks to our technology, we retained and enhanced our critical role in society. Our services allowed people to remain connected to the people they care for, to continue to enjoy countless hours of entertainment from the safety of their homes, whilst having all the neces- sary means to face the current challenges as comfortably, and sustainably as possi- ble. Our services also allowed businesses to be agile enough to set up remotely and continue with their operations with as minimal disruption as possible. To encourage people to stay home, GO opened its premium channels to all cus- tomers, offering thousands of hours of rich TV content. We also offered free access to our TV App including non- GO customers and to date, close to 6000 non-GO customers have been enjoying live TV, movies, and series on demand. As a company, we also did everything in our power to keep our employees safe, protected and connected with each other, through regular check ins, online mental and physical wellbeing initiatives and others aimed at connecting them on matters beyond business. As Malta's prime telecom's provider, we also supported Malta's front liners. Doc- tors, nurses, medical staff civil protec- tion, police, armed forces and firefighters were given 1000 free minutes and 100GB of mobile data to help them stay con- nected with family and friends and we also extended our support to customers stranded in travel-banned countries to allow them sufficient means to keep in touch with family with peace of mind through additional credit or discounts on their respective bills. Covid19 took everyone by storm and will undoubtedly leave a mark on every- one's life but moments like these remind me how incredibly privileged we are to have such an important role in keeping Maltese society connected. We may not be perfect, but we are fully prepared for what lies ahead and committed to keep delivering more and better. The company has just announced the AGM will be held on 28 July, and that the Board of Directors has agreed to the recommendation to pay a dividend of €0.10 (net of taxation). Previously, in April and May, the company had already announced that, because of the circumstances brought about by the COVID-10 pandemic, it would be re-evaluating the previous recommendation to pay a dividend of €0.14 What does this mean for the company and its shareholders? e Management and the Board of Di- rectors have been closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19. Various measures were implemented to ensure that GO continues to provide the best possible service to its customers while safeguard- ing its employees, shareholders, and the long-term stability of the business. In the light of a continued positive fi- nancial performance throughout the cri- sis coupled with the recently announced lifting of travel restrictions, the Board of Directors considers a dividend payment of €0.10 to be a prudent and equitable way forward which will enable GO to continue sustaining strategic investment in its network and connectivity, while de- livering a solid return on investment for our shareholders. e proposed €0.10 final dividend together with the special interim dividend of €0.41 paid in 2019 from the partial sale of GO's sharehold- ing in BMITT result in a total dividend return for year 2019 of €0.51.