GO (Malta)

GO p.l.c. is a provider of local and long distance telephone services, wireless service, cable television, and DSL Internet access. GO is based in Marsa, Malta.

History

Undersea telegraph cable from Malta was first laid to Sicily in 1857 and to Egypt in 1868^[2] by various operations which came to be consolidated in 1928 into one company which was renamed Cable & Wireless in 1934. The Telemalta Corporation Act of 1974 created the Telemalta Corporation which was given monopoly rights as both the operator and regulator of all telecommunications services.^[3] Maltacom p.l.c. was created in 1997 and assumed the assets of Telemalta. The Government retained a 60% stake in Maltacom and sold 40% to the general public by 1998.^[4]

In 1999, a second mobile communications licence was issued to Mobisle Communications Limited, a subsidiary of Maltacom p.l.c. on condition that the parent company divest itself of its 20% share holding in Vodafone Malta Limited within six months of Mobisle's launch. In late 2000, Mobisle launched its GSM network branded as GO Mobile. In May 2006 the Maltese government sold its 60% stake in Maltacom to the Dubai Holding subsidy TECOM Investments.^[5]

On June 12, 2007 Maltacom Group, Malta’s leading telecommunications provider, was renamed GO.^[6] It signified the merger of the 4 brands Maltacom, Maltanet (an ISP), Multiplus (a DTTV provider) and GO Mobile.

GO provides voice, mobile, TV and broadband grouped as GO Business, GO Mobile and GO Plus. GO Business is aimed at the corporate market and includes fixed line, broadband and digital TV as well as in hosting and co-location services. GO Mobile handles both business and personal mobile services while GO Plus is all about the home with fixed line, broadband and digital TV.

See also

• GO-1
• Malta Communications Authority

References