Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/595929
maltatoday, Wednesday, 4 november 2015 17 Events Vodafone Malta reaches 99% population coverage for 4G superfast mobile internet Over 99% of the population across Malta and Gozo is now covered by vodafone Malta's superfast 4G network – the first and still the only such service in Malta. This brings to a close the company's national roll- out of 4G which began just two years ago, at the end of 2013. vodafone Malta remains the only mobile operator on the island to offer 4G, which was launched in Malta only one year after it was first introduced in the United Kingdom. This serv- ice typically offers speeds up to ten times faster than standard 3G or public Wi Fi on custom- ers' mobile devices. vodafone's 4G technology also allows for superior speeds on mobile even compared to fixed line internet services in Malta today. Cur- rent estimates are that given a suitable handset speeds of up to 150Mbps can be achieved over the 4G network. vodafone Malta invested over 10 million euros in launch- ing 4G and this formed part of a wider major investment in every aspect of the vodafone network 's strength, quality and connectivity. This investment enabled the introduction of other new net- work services including HD voice launched earlier this year which produces crystal clear quality sound using state of the art technology of background noise reduction. The network investment in Malta formed part of vodafone Group's market-wide network modernisation programme which was designed to respond to customers' ever growing use of mobile internet. Malta is very clearly moving in line with this trend, with the latest eurobarometer Survey published in February showing a massive increase in smart- phone use in Malta. Survey results showed that in 2014 over 61% of internet us- ers were accessing mobile data through their smartphone, an increase of 32% over the previ- ous year. vodafone Malta's lat- est statistics also indicate this growth in smartphone usage further accelerating: over 80% of the phones sold by vodafone these days are 4G capable. "Our drive to provide the fast- est and most reliable network was the obvious decision," said Sheila Kavanagh, vodafone Malta's new Head of Technol- ogy, "Mobiles can do so much more for people than just calling or texting. People need access to mobile data anytime and any- where and with 4G we provide them with the fastest and most secure mobile internet experi- ence on the island. The fact that almost half of our total data traffic is now carried over our 4G network clearly indicates that customers appreciate the quality and speed it offers. "We are therefore so pleased to have reached the 99% mile- stone since this now means that every one of our customers can now use superfast internet on their mobile with 4G if they wish to. We are also aware that with people using more mobile internet could lead to concerns about running up high bills for data. "This is why we launched re- LAX earlier this year for our postpaid customers, which cut rates for out-of-bundle data us- age by 80% and introduced a better notification system and a f lat rate of €2 for every 100MB above a customer's bundle. "This empowers our cus- tomers to be fully in control of their mobile data costs and eliminates any worry about their next bill. Those custom- ers who regularly need bigger data allowances can also boost their allowances with add-ons to their plans. " As part of its wider customer service commitment vodafone Malta remains committed to providing the best mobile net- work on the island and is al- ready working on a number of initiatives to enhance its serv- ices even further. PepsiCo scores the UEFA Champions League PePSiCO'S flagship global brands Walkers, Gatorade and Pepsi MAX/ Pepsi are joining forces with the UeFA Champions League as Pep- siCo today announced a new part- nership with the prestigious euro- pean club football tournament. PepsiCo's agreement with the UeFA Champions League officially began on July 1, prior to the start of the 2015/16 season. Walkers, Gato- rade and Pepsi MAX/Pepsi will serve as lead brands for the tourna- ment. in addition, PepsiCo will also integrate Doritos, Lipton and 7UP brands into the sponsorship pro- gramme. ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo europe CeO, said: "This announcement takes PepsiCo's long-standing rela- tionship with great football to an- other level. The UeFA Champions League is without a doubt one of the most prestigious football com- petitions in the world, and with more than a billion football fans watching the matches every season, this new partnership offers unprec- edented opportunities for both par- ties. We're passionate about foot- ball and we can't wait to share that passion with UeFA Champions League fans in europe and around the world." He added: "PepsiCo's food and beverage brands, combined with the power of the UeFA Champions League, are a perfect fit. in joining forces we can create great oppor- tunities for friends and families to come together and enjoy them- selves. Together we will take the union between football and enter- tainment to new heights and UeFA Champions League fans can expect some fantastic new experiences from Walkers, Gatorade, Pepsi MAX and Pepsi as we head into the 2015/16 season. Stay tuned!" Commenting on the agreement, Guy-Laurent epstein, UeFA events SA Marketing Director, said: "We are delighted to welcome PepsiCo as an official partner of the UeFA Champions League. PepsiCo is a truly global partner, and we are excited to be working closely with them on engaging fans across the world through innovative market- ing activations, while also benefit- ing from their extensive experience in the entertainment area to fur- ther enhance the UeFA Champions League brand." The UeFA Champions League Final is the world's most watched annual sporting event. The final on Saturday June 6, 2015 was aired in more than 200 countries, reaching an estimated 400 million viewers, with an anticipated average live match viewership of 180 million. The season from the Play-Offs to Final runs over 17 match weeks with a total of 145 games. The league provides more than 110,000 hours of Tv content over a season and audiences are significant re- gionally and globally, with 1.1 bil- lion unique viewers of live match coverage worldwide. Scouts of Malta raise funds for HSBC Water Programme partner THe Scout Association of Malta presented a cheque for €1,000 to HSBC Bank Malta CeO Mark Watkinson in support of Wat- erAid. The Association had been rais- ing funds over the last years dur- ing the earth Hour for WaterAid, a beneficiary non government or- ganisation of the HSBC Water Pro- gramme. The cheque was handed over during a recent HSBC 'Water is Life' concert at Pjazza Teatru rjal, where the public was also en- couraged to purchase candles in support of WaterAid. Taking a selfie in the sky Mark Watkinson thanking the scouts for their help