Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1374931
5 NEWS 20.5.2021 PAUL COCKS MELITA Limited has ushered in a new era in mobile communications by be- coming the first operator in Malta to launch 5G. e launch of this fifth-gen- eration mobile network follows a mul- ti-million euro investment in a state-of- the-art Ericsson network. As a result, all Melita customers who have an Endless Mobile plan, or a new Business 5G mo- bile plan and a 5G enabled device can connect to 5G. e launch took place in the presence of Silvio Schembri, Minis- ter for Economy and Industry and Jes- mond Bugeja, Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Communications Authority. Melita's Chief Executive Officer, Har- ald Roesch, said Malta as it becomes one of the first countries in the 3world to have nationwide 5G coverage. "It is also the latest in a series of steps which Melita has taken over the last few years to ensure we can deliver the best possible connectivity and service to all our residential and business customers," he said. e launch of 5G will greatly increase the capacity of Melita's mobile network. is means that many more devices will be able to connect to the network si- multaneously while also delivering fast- er speeds and quicker response times. is will result in a better, more seam- less experience for customers and opens up the opportunity for new tech- nologies and services to be developed, including the accelerated expansion of the Internet of ings (IoT). Simon Montanaro, Chief Technology Officer at Melita Limited, said the 5G Ericsson network is capable of deliver- ing mobile internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second with a latency of just 10 milliseconds. "To put that into context, humans per- ceive changes around them in about a tenth of a second while the 5G network sends and receives communication in just one hundredth of a second," he said. "If we are thinking about a future with driverless vehicles or precision man- ufacturing, it's clear that this very low latency will be incredibly powerful." In addition to performance, Meli- ta's 5G trial also monitored the energy generated by the network. ese tests showed that with Ericsson's 5G net- work emissions increase by less than 0.1 per cent and remain at less than one hundredth of the level considered safe for the public by the WHO recognised NGO, ICNIRP. All the test results can be accessed on www.melita.com/5gtri- al. Mireille Muscat, Head of Marketing at Melita Limited, said the launch was not just about bringing the best mo- bile technology to Malta but also about bringing 5G to Melita's customers at in- credible value. "All our 5G mobile plans have end- less 5G data: our residential customers with Endless Mobile Plans have been automatically upgraded to 5G at no ex- tra cost, whilst anyone wanting to get a new Endless 5G plan can do so for just €24.99 a month," she said. "For our busi- ness clients, our new Business 5G plans are now available from just €27.99 a month." And while some device manufactur- ers, including Apple and Samsung are still to update their software to enable 5G in Malta, with indications that this will happen by the end of summer, Mel- ita is currently offering devices that are 5G enabled including OnePlus and Xiaomi at discounted prices. Schembri said a remarkable milestone in Malta's telecommunications history had been reached now that a service provider has officially embarked onto the fifth generation, 5G. "As Malta now proceeds with its eco- nomic recovery, the timing of Melita's 5G launch continues to instill confi- dence as we look towards a brighter fu- ture," he said. "Melita is first in bringing 5G nation-wide coverage to Malta. 5G has the potential to be a game-changer." He said 5G will provide up to ten times faster connectivity to millions of devic- es, from smart wearables to connected buses and cars, from parking sensors to drones, from intelligent traffic systems to remote surgery. In view of concerns in relation to 5G, Minister Schembri said that in line with the constant guidance provided by Eu- ropean Institutions, this technology will bring negligible changes in emis- sion levels when compared to existing networks, levels which themselves are only a small fraction of the guidelines established by the ICNIRP, the inter- national organisation which is formally recognised by the World Health Organ- isation. Melita launches nationwide 5G rollout Economy minister Silvio Schembri Melita CEO Harald Roesch BANK of Valletta is launch- ing the BOV SecurekeyPlus - a new internet banking se- curekey with enhanced trans- action signing capabilities. e new BOV SecurekeyPlus is a transaction signing solution with PIN protection and cron- to-based visual authentication. It is ideal for businesses who on a regular basis affect multi- ple transactions over the BOV Internet Banking. Like the dig- ital BOV Signatures available through BOV Mobile and the physical white securekey, this latest authenticator protects consumers and businesses by enhancing security for online banking against sophisticated fraud schemes. "is new securekey is a phys- ical key that allows authorisa- tion of multiple transactions at one go, addressing the re- quirements of businesses who prefer the flexibility of multiple authorisations rather than hav- ing to authorise every single transaction," Franco Xuereb, Executive eBanking at Bank of Valletta, said. "We listened to what our business customers had to say about their online banking experience and subsequent- ly brought this advanced se- curekey to the market, provid- ing them with a fast and secure solution for their financial needs." e BOV SecurekeyPlus, which comes at an annual fee of €15, is not a replacement for BOV Signatures, which is free of charge to all BOV internet banking subscribers and allows for authorisation of multiple transactions. Business custom- ers who would like to obtain the BOV SecurekeyPlus are to send a request on https://www. bov.com/Assistants/set-an-ap- pointment. Moreover, as communicat- ed in 2019, the old black se- curekey will be completely dis- abled over the coming weeks. Customers who are still mak- ing use of this key for viewing purposes, are to use BOV Sig- natures by downloading the BOV Mobile App for free or apply for a new physical key. Further information can be found on https://www.bov. c o m / c o n t e n t / t h e - b o v - s e - curekey. New BOV Securekey for businesses