Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1336090
7 INTERVIEW 4.2.2021 with 5G: high speeds, support of large num- ber of IoT devices and low latency (delay) to support applications that require reaction times without any lag/delay. Our 4.5G network already offers speeds up to 300 Mbps and even close to 1Gbps in some hotspots. We have a dedicated narrow-band IoT network capable of supporting huge amounts of IoT devices. e latency on our network, due to Malta's size and unique char- acteristics, is already very low. 5G can help take this to the next level and we believe in this technology. We have lots of experience with it since our shareholders have already rolled out 5G in Monaco and Ireland. We are excited about this opportuni- ty. As we have done over the past 30 years, we will be key players in this space. What are you most excited about for the next 12 months? I am excited to ensure that people and businesses in Malta understand how epic makes things better. epic is more than just a logo change. This means delivering on our two promises of Great Value and Great Network. We started this journey mid-November by launching revolutionary plans for con- sumers that offer unlimited mobile data, voice and SMS without lock-in contracts and extra fees. We launched new top-up value plans with amazing value (doubled data, SMS and minutes vs our competitors) and we launched Unlimited for Business. We are working hard to get the message to consumers and get as many existing and new customers on these plans as possible because this unlocks so much potential for them. Similarly I'm excited to fulfill our Great net- work promise, for which we have three prior- ities: to improve our network, to improve the customer service experience and to expand our penetration in fixed services. What will drive the technology and telecommunications sector in Malta in the near-to-mid future? e past few months have shown us that connectivity is not for the few digital sav- vy people, it is for everyone. We call it 'the democratisation of technology'. is also means that customers do not have to choose between quality and value but are offered both simultaneously. is is our focus. We will challenge the status quo, through effi- ciency and innovation, for both our consum- ers and businesses. In business, it also means going beyond ba- sic connectivity, this also being a key focus area for epic. We have a dedicated IoT net- work capable of supporting huge amount of sensors, things, applications. We have a mo- bile network and infrastructure supporting services for businesses such as hosting, in- ternational connectivity, security and more. We have an important role to play in help- ing businesses think more efficiently and be more future proof. As a technology company, we will be im- proving further our infrastructure to provide cutting edge connectivity services and cov- er the needs of our customers to help them dream and build the future as well. What is your biggest challenge, what keeps you awake at night? Ensuring customers understand that epic is about making things better. Rebranding doesn't mean throwing away the good things built before. It is the same 'us', but we are improving and working hard to deliver our promise of a Great Network with Great Val- ue. With such a big promise it is not surpris- ing that customers are holding us account- able. Our biggest achievement is to exceed their expectations. What is your business passion? What excites you most, what gets you out of bed in the morning? Seeing people succeed and being happy. Our purpose is helping people and businesses un- leash their full potential. My personal one is to achieve this through creating an engaged, motivated, and successful team composed of the right people with the right mindset. Do you think there is a role for AI technology in telecoms networks? Yes. e telecom sector is data rich. Mean- ing there is room for providing a great expe- rience and better services by translating data into actionable insights and automated pro- cesses. AI can help in this space. What experience does epic have with AI? Like the rest of the industry, we are start- ing out and experimenting. In 2019, we im- plemented a chatbot with AI capabilities. We strived to improve and experiment with this, until September of last year when we decid- ed to remove it. Regarding new technologies, many boast about successes but we believe it is important to share learnings too. For us, this one proved to be too complex and ineffi- cient to run without complex integration into back-end systems which did not make sense to us at that point. e issue was more with the complexity of our services, the business processes and the way the technology had to be deployed. e customer experience was not good and efficient enough so we decided to pull the plug. We're now looking at new approaches to address this. Any favourite apps on your mobile phone? Garmin Connect: It helps me train and stay fit. Relive: to create fun videos of runs/walks put on a map. Qustodio: helps monitor kids' screen time and keep them safe through filtering harmful content on their devices. Online video in enterprise? Yes or no? If there's a great network behind. Choose one: Apple iOS or Android? Any, if running on an epic connection. My main phone is an Android but I have kept an iPhone for some content and apps. Social media – yes or no? Yes, with purpose, care and the right level of privacy. For youth: with education, some controls and security. unlock their full potential