Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/884700
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 OCTOBER 2017 News 5 This is a paid advert The future is exciting. Ready? FOLLOWING the launch of Malta's first 4G+ mobile network, Vodafone Malta now brings the country its first ever glimpse of the future by showcasing the foundations for 5G technology and trialling breakthrough 'gigabit speeds' of 1,000 Mbps on its mobile network. This landmark speed, which is a whop- ping eight times the speed of 4G, is a first of its kind in Malta and was only possible by bringing cutting-edge technology from Vodafone Group specially to the island. The demo comes as Vodafone changes its brand positioning globally from 'Power to you' to 'The future is exciting. Ready?' Re- search shows that consumers believe that the way that technology helps them connect is evolving and it makes the future exciting, but a little bit unknown. Vodafone's new positioning underlines the brand's belief that new technologies and dig- ital services will play a positive role in trans- forming society and enhancing individual quality of life over the years ahead. If you haven't heard the term 'Gigabit Soci- ety' before, you really only need to know one thing: that you'll soon be living in one. The European Commission has proposed that, by 2025, all schools, transport hubs and main providers of public services as well as digitally intensive enterprises should have access to internet connections with down- load/upload speeds of 1 Gigabit of data per second. Gigabit speeds will change our lives by revolutionising industries such as healthcare and education. Imagine a world where the following is widely possible: • Patients can receive expert healthcare services while remaining in the comfort of their home, particularly for diagnosis and for post-operative care. • Doctors can assist each other through HD videoconferencing solutions during surgeries. • Power grids are balanced in real time, automatically shutting down some indus- trial processes that have buffer capacity, without loss of productivity, to cope with power peaks. • Gamers can play exciting online virtual reality games with friends who are in a different location. • Students can attend some of their classes remotely – even from different countries – and interact with the teacher and each other in real time through HD video. They could even be taken on trips to inac- cessible places like the deep ocean with- out needing to leave the classroom. • Researchers can share huge amounts of data with each other online in a matter of seconds. • Parents can pick children up from school in driverless cars, where the only thing they have to do is provide the destination. • Cities are equipped with large sensor net- works and other internet of things (IoT) devices to collect data and resolve issues around pollution, traffic congestion and assisted living for the elderly. In reality, we are not so far away from this. Many of these applications already exist, but are currently constrained by the availability and capabilities of technology, cost of devic- es and services, and the ability of regulation to keep up with socioeconomic and techni- cal change. "Significant investment is required to bring the required gigabit networks," Vodafone Malta CEO Amanda Nelson explained. "In order for Malta to be equipped with such a network as is being demonstrated, the right regulatory and investment environ- ment must exist. "We believe that the proposed merger with Melita can create the right conditions for this type of investment, given the size and economics of the Maltese market. If the merger is approved, these types of speeds and the transformations they bring will be possible in a much shorter period. It is very unlikely that Malta would be able to keep pace with Europe if the cost of investments are spread across three separate networks. Now is the time for Malta to choose to step ahead." Vodafone brings Malta a glimpse of the future by trialling 1 gigabit speeds Vodafone Malta extends 4G+ to over half of the Maltese Islands 4G+ is one of the biggest leaps in mo- bile technology that Malta has ever seen, even exceeding some of today's fixed speed capability. After having first successfully rolled out the innovative 4G+ network in Gozo in June, Vodafone Malta last month ful- filled its pledge to bring the technology to Malta. "Earlier this summer, we announced the exclusive launch of 4G+, that is up to 60 per cent faster than any other mo- bile network in Malta," Vodafone Malta Head of Technology Sheila Kavanagh said. "We are now proud to announce the extension of our 4G+ coverage, covering over half the Maltese Islands." Ms Kavanagh said that it was worth noting that most Maltese customers had never seen anything close to such speeds from their fixed home internet provider either. According to the latest MCA data, 86 per cent of households have a fixed in- ternet solution that is lower than 100 Mbps – less than half of what Vodafone offers on its unique 4G+ mobile network today. "Of this 86 per cent, over 54 per cent have even less than 50 Mbps, which is even less than a quarter of the speed we offer through 4G+. This shows how far ahead Vodafone Malta has always been in leading the evolution of network speeds in Malta compared to our fixed competitors." 4G+ speeds are automatically available to all Vodafone Malta customers with compatible phones. Downloading a 1hr movie in full HD… 3G 4G 4G+ 59min 39s 3min 04s 2min 02s 1Gbps 26s Amanda Nelson – Vodafone Malta CEO Live virtual reality stadium experiences could be like this in the future A comparison of the time taken to download a 1 hour movie in full resolution over gigabit speeds (just 26 seconds) versus downloading over different network speeds