GO Mobile has announced that it has contracted Nokia Siemens Network (NSN) to expand and upgrade its wireless networks in Malta, doubling the number of its 3G base transceiver stations (BTS) and replacing its GSM infrastructure. NSN will replace the existing towers with its own, purportedly more energy efficient, ‘Flexi Multiradio Base Stations’, as well as increasing the network’s footprint with additional BTS. GO claims that the rollout has been prompted by the increasing demand for data services, and will ensure that its network can cope with the surges in traffic from the large number of tourists that visit the island each year. GO has said that the new platform will provide a stable base upon which it can build out 4G technology. The overhaul is expected to take a little over a year, although customers are expected to notice improvements earlier, with the completion of each phase.
Vodafone Malta meanwhile, will invest EUR11 million (USD15.4 million) over the next six months to finance improvement to its customer relations management systems. Vodafone has to date spent an estimated EUR200 million in Malta, largely on network upgrades: most recently it improved the speed of its data transfer services to a maximum downlink speed of 14.4Mbps, and increased the capacity of its networks to cater to increasing traffic from smartphones.