Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/292371
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 9 APRIL 2014 8 JAMES DEBONO NEARLY a tenth of the Maltese (8%) have only mobile telephone access, with no fixed telephone access, a Eu- robarometer survey shows. But the percentage of those who rely exclusively on mobile phones remains one of the lowest in the Eu- ropean Union and has not increased since 2009. Just over three in ten households in EU28 (31%) have only mobile tele- phone access, with no fixed telephone access. This rate varies considerably across Member States, with values ranging from more than sev- en in ten households in Finland (85%), Czech Republic (83%), Slovakia (74%) and Latvia (71%) to less than one in ten households in Sweden (2%), Ger- many and Malta (both 8%). More than two-thirds of house- holds in the EU have fixed line tel- ephone access (68%), but this figure masks a wide disparity between Member States. Fixed line telephone access is al- most universal amongst households in Sweden (98%), and is also high amongst households in Malta (92%) and Germany (91%). In contrast, 15% of households in the Czech Republic and Finland have fixed telephone access. The propor- tion is also low amongst households in Slovakia (20%). Almost all respondents in Malta, Cyprus, Sweden (all 97%), Denmark, Slovenia and Lithuania (all 96%) say they never use public payphones in their country. In contrast, only 45% of respondents in Estonia and 67% of those in Finland say the same. The survey shows that, compared to 2009, the percentage of Maltese who own a DVD has fallen by 9 points while those who own a CD has fallen by 4 points. Malta is one of two member states where there has been a notable in- crease in the proportion of house- holds with both contract and pre- paid mobile access (+8 percentage points), the other being Ireland (+6 percentage points). The Netherlands and Malta are the only countries where there has been a notable increase in the use of In- ternet services that provide cheaper phone calls (+6 and +5pp respectively). The Netherlands is the only Mem- ber State where more than one in ten use an Internet phone service to make cheaper calls (12%), followed by 7% of respondents in Luxembourg and 6% of respondents in Slovenia, Malta and France. Respondents in Malta are the most likely to say they use messaging serv- ices less often when visiting other EU countries compared to their own (35%), followed by those in Estonia (33%), Portugal and Italy (both 32%). Just 7% of those in Spain and 10% of those in the Netherlands say the same. THIS summer commuters will be able to travel to Valletta from Slie- ma and the Three Cities aboard two brand new ferries operated by Mar- samxetto Steamferry Services. Two 19-metre ferries, which are currently under construction in the UK, will be delivered to the compa- ny owned by Captain Morgan Lei- sure Ltd and Bianchi and Co Ltd. Exeter Maritime Services was commissioned to build the two 120-passenger low wash ferries for operations across the Grand Har- bour and Marsamxetto Harbour in Malta. The contract for the two ferries is valued at approximately €1.45 mil- lion. The first vessel will provide tour- ists and commuters a link between Sliema Ferries and Marsamxetto, while the second will link Lascaris Wharf with Senglea and Cospicua. The vessels comply with the re- quirements of Transport Malta and were designed by Australian naval architect Adam Schwetz, who un- dertook the commission from the UK shipyard and worked in close cooperation with Marsamxetto Steamferry Services. The ferries have very low wash characteristics, allowing them to make frequent trips across the two harbours with the minimum of dis- ruption to other harbour uses and vessels moored in close proximity. The introduction of the new €1.45 million ferries are expected to see an increase in the passengers trav- elling between the four localities, currently serviced by aging and in- efficient vessels. The ferries will have 96 seats in the main passenger lounge and 24 seats on the upper deck, with the possi- bility of adding a further 30 outdoor seats to increase the capacity to 150 should traffic volumes increase. News More people choosing not to have fixed telephony New €1.45 million ferries to link Sliema-Valletta-Cottonera 8% have a mobile phone but no fixed line in their homes