GO final

2 The Sunday Times of Malta JULY 23, 2017
technology
GO staff celebrate
having the fastest
mobile network in Malta.
Research shows GO has
fastest mobile network
Research carried out by Net Check
GmbH, a leading, independent
German firm specialising in performance
testing of mobile networks
(www.netcheck.de), has
conclusively shown that GO has
the best mobile network in
Malta. The research, conducted
nationwide, also revealed that
GO’s mobile internet service is
significantly faster than that of
any of its competitors.
“GO has been
independently
certified as
having the
fastest mobile
internet in
Malta”
Net Check’s research covered
three main areas: network coverage,
voice quality, and data quality.
Overall, GO came out on top,
particularly in mobile internet,
where GO’s network demonstrated
a significant advantage
over competing networks. In
fact, in urban areas, GO’s 4G
mobile internet network delivered
an average download
speed of 85.4 Mbps compared
to the runner-up which had an
average download speed of
56.8 Mbps. Outside of urban
areas, GO delivered an average
download speed of 79.0 Mbps,
compared to the runner-up
which had an average download
speed of 55.0 Mbps. These
results were based on 6,000
samples of mobile internet
service and 2,000 samples of
voice service taken simultaneously
for each operator over a
route covering more than 400
kilometres across all Malta
and Gozo.
Attila Keszeg, Chief Executive
Officer at GO plc, said: “This
is the first ever truly nationwide
research carried out by a reputable
company into the quality
of the mobile networks in Malta
and we are of course delighted
that GO has been proven to be
the best. The fact that GO’s 4G
network performed significantly
better than that of its
competitors is due to the fact
that GO’s network is the only
one in the market where the
radio base stations, on which
the service depends, are all connected
with fibre.
“The fact that GO has been independently
certified as having
the fastest mobile internet in
Malta motivates us to keep going
and increase our momentum.
Since December 2016, GO has
During the event, GO’s Chief Commercial Officer, Kurt Camilleri also revealed the company’s new campaign
and enhanced data offers for customers.
been in a position to launch 4G+.
This service will be activated as
soon as the necessary frequency
bands are allocated. Going forward,
GO is determined to ensure
we remain the fastest
network across Malta – make no
mistake, we are the fastest and
we will remain the fastest.’’
Net Check’s report is available
online on their website. The report
details the various parameters
that were included in the research
including, among others,
signal strength and coverage,
call setup time, call success
rates, speech quality, web page
download speeds, and file upload
and download speeds.
The report also explains the
weighting Net Check attributed
to each category in order
to determine the final overall
network performance score.
To celebrate being the fastest
network in Malta, GO will also
be offering all new or existing
customers upgrading their tariff
plan an additional 10GB of
data over and above existing
offers for the first 30 days. This
offer will be valid until August
31, 2017.

feature
JULY 23, 2017 The Sunday Times of Malta 3
Net Check benchmarks
Malta’s mobile networks
JOSIP KARLO CINDRIC
Malta’s mobile networks
To determine the quality of Maltese mobile
networks, Net Check performed an
extensive benchmark in May 2017. Over
40 valid measurement hours, covering
more than 440 kilometers of drive testing
within cities (approximately 75 per cent),
connection roads (approximately 25 per
cent) all over Malta, more than 8,000
samples for voice and data services have
been collected. (2,000 voice calls, 6,000
data tests per network).
The voice test set-up was as follows: A 120-
second time window is applied to each voice
test. During these 120 seconds, a call is being
set up and held for 90 seconds. If the call is
not established within the first 30 seconds
of the time window, the call is considered
failed. If it does not hold up the 90 seconds
and drops, it is rated “dropped”. Two devices
calling each other exchange so called
“speech samples”, which are short, standardised
voice sequences.
Taking the source file as a reference, the
use of the industry standard algorithm
“POLQA” compares the source audio with
the received audio and rank the received
quality. A “mean opinion score” (MOS) is calculated
in the range between one and five,
one being the worst, five being the best
grade. Based on experience, customers experiencing
a “MOS” below 1.6 are unsatisfied
with voice quality.
“This is impressive:
almost two times
higher than the
average data rate
measured in Germany”
When digging deeper into the data tests,
they reveal that in Malta the average
throughput rates in downlink hit the
81mbps mark. This is not only very competitive
with other European countries, but
puts them clearly over the top of countries
like Germany, where the highest rate of
multithread downloads in average achieved
was 42.8mbps. This is impressive: almost
two times higher than the average data rate
measured in Germany (last public benchmark
by Net Check).
To find the differences, Net Check went
one step further and tested “YouTube Live
Video Streaming” as a service during the
test drive. As in that kind of test not only
throughput matters, this may provide more
differentiation between the networks. By
the use of the algorithm “vMOS”, which, in
a similar manner to “POLQA” evaluates and
scores the received video picture quality, Net
Check is able to grade the performance for
this test as well with the following outcome:
the best average vMOS value of a excellent
4.21 is achieved by GO.
This means, high quality streaming without
any jerks or freezers. But, even the lowest
average of 3.68, achieved by a different operator,
still offers an acceptable user experience
when it comes to live video streaming.
The conclusion is that the nationwide
benchmark in Malta, performed by
Net Check, proves the availability of excellent
mobile network services throughout
the country.
GO is competitive, or even better than the
networks of most other European countries.
Having statistically evaluated the results,
GO beats the competition in Malta in
a tight battle and wins the title “Best Mobile
Network in Malta”.
About Net Check
Net Check is an international company focusing
on delivering outstanding, high quality
services to the mobile communication
industry. Based in Berlin, Net Check specialises
in providing network audits, benchmarks
and optimisation services as well as
rollout, upgrade and swap support to network
operators, and equipment providers.
Quality measurements provide information
on the strengths and weaknesses of mobile
networks. Among others, quality of speech
and data transfers are being examined in
urban, suburban as well as in remote areas.
Technically oriented tests provide necessary
information for radio network planning
and are the basis for optimisation
requirements. Customer oriented tests reflect
the quality of the network as perceived
by users and also serves a basis for marketing
and management decisions.
Net Check performs network audits with
highly sophisticated test equipment and
analysis tools. The use of the latest, state of
the art equipment available on the market,
assures the capabilities to cover a wide
range of devices, applications and test scenarios
in any network technology.
Net Check also performs country-specific,
annual press measurements. The results of
these projects are published by local media
partners. Always being on the edge of technical
development in the markets, Net
Check provides the most advanced methodologies
and concepts to represent network
capabilities and consumer experience.
Pairing engineering expertise with statistically
rigorous methodologies to design
network performance tests and collect performance
metrics on mobile networks
which closely represent the consumer’s experience.
Once the data is collected, sophisticated
statistical techniques are applied to
verify and validate the results.
This approach ensures that all operators
are measured equally, without bias, allowing
Net Check to provide factual, real-world
data which represents rather the real consumer
experience than the statistical counters
and performance metrics collected
within the networks themselves.
This effortful and comprehensive
measurement specification sets the
standard in the benchmarking industry
and is a relevant and meaningful
indicator of the quality of the local mobile
network. Last but not least, the
knowhow of highly qualified experts,
means that measurements enjoy a high
reputation by the media, the public and
the network operators.
Josip Karlo Cindric is Head of Benchmarking
and Optimisation Projects at NET CHECK.

4 The Sunday Times of Malta JULY 23, 2017
interview
Delivering what the
consumer needs
Our commitment is to bring the best available technology
to Malta, says Attila Keszeg, GO Chief Executive Officer.
On June 1, GO appointed Attila Keszeg as
Chief Executive Officer. He has had a dynamic
high profile career - prior to this appointment,
he was Senior Vice President
Commercial at Deutsche Telekom AG, responsible
for the overall business to consumer
activities in 12 countries. His
experience also includes five years as General
Manager for Red Bull Hungary. He joins GO
at a most interesting time.
Q: You have made quite a transition from
a large organisation with oversight for a
number central European markets to a
relatively small, Mediterranean market,
albeit one with a regional dimension.
What was it that attracted you to GO?
Attila Keszeg: Malta is a respected member
of the EU, and rapidly experiencing many
of the trends and influences one can observe
in mainland Europe.
The Maltese telecommunications market
will soon arrive at a crossroads, and will require
a transformational effort from market
players to live up to the twin challenges of expansionist
global players and rapidly evolving
customer demand.
After several years at the head office of a
multinational company, I was looking for a CEO
level operational challenge. GO is a great company,
with excellent fundamentals and experienced
people. I am looking forward to making
my own contribution to GO’s ongoing transformation
as the best service provider in Malta.
Q: What are your first impressions of the
market, as well as of the people and culture
here in Malta?
AK: Clearly, Maltese society still embraces
strong traditional values, the result of your
history and enviable heritage. People here
care about each other.
However, the Maltese are resilient fighters,
survivors who can rally round and protect
common ground. One observes a strong
work ethic and high standards.
GO is not only an essential part of the local
fabric and a fantastic national brand but it
also sums up what Malta is all about – tough,
rooted in strong values, outward-looking,
perfectly capable of rising to the challenges
of the future.
“GO is not only an
essential part of
the local fabric
and a fantastic
national brand
but it also sums
up what Malta is
all about”
Q: All the network operators seem to
claim they are the best and fastest. What’s
your own view on this and how does GO
compare say on mobile network speed and
reliability?
AK: The telecommunications industry is
driven by technology, which evolves continuously.
As operators inevitably follow different
investment cycles, their capabilities continue
to change.
There are, however, two important facts
that we need to be clear about. Firstly, fibreto-the-home,
which only GO is rolling out is
the best available fixed line technology in the
world. All major global players are investing
in fibre. Some of our competitors have
broadly available cable coverage, which is
good technology, but one generation older
then ours. With this technology they are still
able to temporarily claim a speed advantage
in those areas where fibre has not yet been
deployed. But in areas covered by fibre our
speed advantage is undisputed and will remain
so in the future.
Secondly, GO has the fastest, broadest, best
mobile network in Malta. This is a fact which
was recently confirmed by Net Check, an internationally
recognised independent certifying
agency. GO’s mobile network is
superior, particularly when it comes to data,
because ours is the only network which is entirely
connected by fibre.
Our major mobile competitor is talking
about future capabilities, and some test operations
in some areas of Gozo.
But the truth is that GO is ready to launch
4G+ as soon as the regulatory bodies allocate
the necessary frequency bands required for
enhanced services. Going forward, GO is determined
to ensure we remain the fastest
network across Malta.
GO Chief Executive Officer Attila Keszeg
Q: GO has embarked on some pretty
major investments such as fibre to the
home. Is this on track and will you pursue
it further?
AK: GO’s commitment is to bring the best
available technology to Malta – we always
did, we always will. Over a span of five years
or so, our cumulative investment in fibre and
4G technology as well as in systems and IT infrastructure
is indeed significant, exceeding
€200 million. This makes us the largest investor
in the telecommunications industry in
this market and probably one of the largest
investors in the Maltese economy.
Additionally, we are also investing in Maltese
IT companies, and expanding GO’s skill
base. GO employs either directly or indirectly,
over 1,200 Maltese people, and we
enjoy the trust of some 8,500 shareholders
via the Malta Stock Exchange. We always
were – and aspire to remain – the largest in-

JULY 23, 2017 The Sunday Times of Malta 5
vestors and employer in our sector. As a leading
Maltese company firmly rooted in the
local economy, GO is very committed to
Malta’s ongoing prosperity.
Q: You arrive at the helm of GO at quite
an interesting time: your two major competitors
are in the process of joining up to
compete with GO and reshape the market.
What are your views on this development?
AK: Despite our competitors’ dominance
in their respective sectors, I suppose this
move by them is in a way recognition that
GO is also a sound player in the market
that is able to deliver what the Maltese
consumer needs.
GO welcomes competition; we believe that
it leads to better services and triggers more
timely and larger investments from which
everybody in society benefits. Our history
demonstrates our investment approach to
competition. We built a mobile network to
successfully compete against Vodafone and
likewise invested heavily in TV infrastructure
and content to compete effectively with
Melita. The proposed Melita takeover of
Vodafone indicates that our competitors
have chosen a different approach.
Q: What are your main strategic priorities
going forward?
AK: We have already deployed the fastest
and best 4G mobile network in Malta. We
are in the middle of deploying the best
available fixed line technology to ensure
high speed broadband and high quality TV
services. As such, GO is well placed to provide
the best speeds and highest quality
services in Malta.
Investing in infrastructure is the first step.
But our principal aspiration is to offer businesses,
households and individuals the solutions
to their telecommunications needs. In
parallel with new services, we have the ambition
to deliver the best customer service on
the Maltese market. We are Malta’s original
telecoms company and we want to be the
first choice for customers.

6 The Sunday Times of Malta JULY 23, 2017
feature
A network built for the future
Adrian Zahra
ADRIAN ZAHRA
The best network in Malta
GO completed the nationwide roll-out of its
fibre powered 4G high speed mobile network
in 2016. Research carried out recently
by Net Check, a leading and independent
German consultancy firm specialising in
mobile markets (www.netcheck.de), has
now proven that this network is the fastest
in Malta. GO’s 4G network has brought several
benefits which mean that GO is perfectly
placed to remain the provider of the
fastest network in Malta.
Unlike previous mobile technologies
GO’s 4G mobile network, with downlink
speeds of up to 120 Mbits/second, brings
the full power of the internet into the hands
of GO’s customers. Besides providing a
much better user experience due to the increase
in network speed and capacity, this
technology also enables capabilities previously
impossible on previous networks.
One example is the GO Live experience
on Facebook which makes it possible for
users of the service to live stream video
content from their mobile devices. For
business users, the availability of higher
speeds and capacity also means improved
productivity especially in business
operations with a high degree of
mobility requiring real-time data access.
The resilience of GO’s 4G network is also
unmatched. It is sewn together on top of
a solid multi Gigabit multipath fibre infrastructure
which spans the whole of
the Maltese Islands. This ensures that
there are no weak links across the whole
country. As opposed to radio networks
which use microwave technology, the
new state of the art transport technology
employed ensures that there is the best
possible path in between GO’s customers
and the Internet, wherever they might
be. The result is an unparalleled user experience
both in terms of speed as well
as service resiliency.
The roll-out of 4G for GO didn’t just mean
improved data services. It also brought further
improvements to voice services. This
is because the roll-out process also brought
with it the re-engineering of our 2G mobile
network. 2G, in fact still carries a significant
portion of voice traffic and the
changes in frequency needed to make space
for 4G in fact also delivered improved voice
services for customers.
“GO’s 4G mobile
network, with
downlink speeds of up
to 120 Mbits/second,
brings the full power of
the internet into the
hands of GO’s
customers”
It was because GO was confident of its
superior solution and also because we
wanted to have an accurate independent
assessment of the true value of our investment,
that we commissioned an independent
German Network Auditing firm
Net Check (http://www.netcheck.de/) to
test and benchmark our Network Capabilities
against those of our competitors.
Following a very strict test protocol using
Swiss state-of-the-art benchmarking
equipment, GO’s Network was clearly
shown to be the best in Malta both in
terms of access and performance across
both voice and data services.
Network Speed and functionality using
various Internet protocols mimicking typical
customer behaviour patterns were
tested. These included website browsing,
YouTube Video streaming and the ability to
interact with Social Media. In this audit
GO’s network scored ahead of all competition
with an overall average data rate of
85.41 Mbits/s compared to the 56.81 of its
nearest competitor. In confirming that GO’s
4G network is the best mobile network in
Malta, Net Check gave the network an overall
score of 931.72 out of a total possible of
1000 points for Voice and Data services.
4G+ to launch as soon as
commercial frequencies
become available
Having established the fastest and
best network in Malta, GO has also been
successfully testing 4G+ technology in
areas across Malta which have the heaviest
demand for data services. This testing
was carried out between May and
June 2017 under a special test and trial
licence granted by the local regulatory
authority. Powered by our high-speed
fibre infrastructure, 4G+ test speeds
reaching well over 200Mbps per second
where verified in a live network scenario.
Furthermore, the lower 800Mhz
frequencies used in GO’s solution for
4G+ along with a stratified network design
were also tested and delivered the
expected improved network coverage
and continuity of service. This means
that GO is fully ready to deploy 4G+
technology where it really counts,
namely high population density and
high usage areas. GO can switch on 4G+
on the very day in which the authorities
allow operators in Malta to commercially
launch this service.
As the level of connectivity in our
lives continues to increase dramatically
at work and at home, GO continues to
invest in the infrastructure required to
satisfy the customer’s needs and expectations
ensuring the best possible user
experience. GO is committed to continue
delivering the fastest and best
mobile network in Malta, today and in
the years to come.
Adrian Zahra, Senior Manager – Radio
Networks at GO.
STEVEN SARGENT
In April 2015, GO announced its investment
plan for rolling out a nationwide
Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) network. For
many, this public announcement was
their first inkling of GO’s fibre project.
For GO, however, it was the culmination
of years of planning and sustained effort.
GO has been installing fibre since the
90’s initially connecting its own data centres,
banks, government institutions and
large businesses. As bandwidth requirements
grew, GO understood the need to
have a fibre network throughout the country,
and translated this FTTH vision into a
design that it developed, tested and refined
into a well-honed system that enables large
scale deployment at a feasible cost.
Laying fibre from GO’s exchanges to
homes is no mean feat. This fibre has to
follow the same physical route one would
use to walk to his home, and for all
homes, this translates into tens of thousands
of kilometres of fibre installed via
manual labour. One does not get many
chances to get this installation right and
it is crucial to find a balance between cost
feasibility, robust design and flexibility
for future growth.
The architecture of GO’s FTTH network
in a typical neighbourhood follows
a standard pattern. Fibres are fed from
GO’s closest exchange to focal points
from which some 1,500 homes may be
serviced. GO’s Internet, Interactive TV
and voice service feeds at its data centres
are connected via PON (Passive Optical
Network) to this Optical Hub (which may
be up to 4km away) using underground
fibre links. Each Optical Hub is connected
to a number of Optical Cabinets
that feed smaller pockets of households
within the neighbourhood.
“Having fibre in a
network gives that
network’s operator
the right to claim a
tangible contribution
to a country’s
economic
development by
enabling top-of-therange
connectivity”
Most Optical Cabinets are installed underground
to minimise environmental
impact. Each Cabinet feeds a number of
Optical Distribution Points, each of
which serves a few households. One fibre
from the Optical Cabinet is terminated
inside the Optical Distribution Point and
the homes in close proximity to these Optical
Distribution Points are termed as
homes ‘passed’ by the FTTH network.
Today, whenever a neighbourhood is
earmarked for FTTH roll-out, a tried and
tested process comes into play. GO’s network
planners carry out a detailed survey
of the area to know how many
dwellings will be ‘passed’ by the network.
They scout for the best locations for the
Optical Hub, Cabinets and Distribution
Points, which are chosen to be as unobtrusive
as possible and to minimise the
extent of disruptive road digging. The information
is then used to prepare a very
detailed plan of the network, and to generate
the orders for civil engineering
works for installing the street furniture
and constructing underground links connecting
the Hub and the Cabinets.
With the street furniture in place, plastic
tubing is installed between the various
components, allowing fibre bundles to be
blown from the Hub to the Cabinets, and
from the Cabinets to the Distribution
Points. The final step is to splice the fibres
at each of these points so that there is a continuous
optical route from the Distribution
Point to GO’s exchange. Once all this work
is done, the postcodes in that area are
tagged as ‘homes passed’ meaning that people
living there may apply for GO’s superfast
broadband and receive service within
days. One can check Fibre availability in his
area through www.go.com.mt/fibre.
Connecting the customer requires a
visit by GO’s installers, who install a run
of fibre from the nearest Optical Distribution
Point to an Optical Network Terminal
inside the customer’s home, and
connect it via Ethernet cable to the customer’s
Home Gateway equipment. Once
the link is activated, the customer will be
able to enjoy superfast services that only
a real fibre network going all the way to
the home can provide.
GO’s extensive fibre network links
bandwidth hungry sites like 4G mobile
base stations, data centres, government
departments, remote offices and shopping
Steven Sargent
malls together so that users may access all
their information needs where ever they
are. With GO’s FTTH network, the same
bandwidth capacity enjoyed by these sites
can also be made available inside homes,
enabling new technologies like remote
care, 4K TV and Virtual Reality. It is widely
accepted in the telecoms industry that
having fibre in a network gives that network’s
operator the right to claim a tangible
contribution to a country’s economic
development by enabling top-of-the-range
connectivity. Wiring up a whole country
for FTTH is a major commitment by GO,
a long-term show of confidence in a technological
solution that, under appropriate
conditions, makes business sense.
Steven Sargent Senior Manager, Fixed Networks
Plan & Build at GO.

devices
JULY 23, 2017 The Sunday Times of Malta 7
GO ready to launch 4G+
Between May and
June 2017, GO has
successfully tested
4G+ technology in
areas across Malta
which have the heaviest
demand for data services.
This testing has been carried
out under a special test and trial
licence granted by the local regulatory
authority. Powered by our highspeed
fibre infrastructure, 4G+ test
speeds reaching well over 200Mbps
per second were verified in a live
network scenario.
Furthermore, the lower 800Mhz frequencies
used in GO’s solution for 4G+
along with a stratified network design
were also tested and delivered the expected
improved network coverage and
continuity of service. This means that
GO is fully ready to deploy 4G+ technology
where it really counts, namely high
population density and high usage areas.
GO can switch on 4G+ on the very day
in which the authorities allow operators
in Malta to commercially launch this
service.
Here are some of the devices already
available at GO.
4G+ smartphones
Apple iPhone 7 / 7 Plus
4G+ capability: Category 9 (up to 450/50Mbps)
Retail Price
iPhone 7 (32GB): €825
iPhone 7 Plus (32GB): €965
N.B. iPhone 7 Jet Black 128GB: €935; iPhone 7 Plus
Jet Black 128GB: €1,075.
Description
Apple’s new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus dramatically improve
the most important aspects of the iPhone
experience. Powered by Apple’s own A10 Fusion
chipset with a Quad-Core processor and 2GB RAM
for the iPhone 7, while 3GB on the iPhone 7 Plus,
it runs Apple’s latest iOS 10 with zero effort. The
4.7” and 5.5” Retina displays on the iPhone 7 and 7
Plus respectively are the most colourful iPhone
displays yet including wide colour gamut. With a
new touch sensitive home button and brilliant Jet
Black colour, it looks every bit as powerful as it is.
Huawei P9
4G+ capability: Category 6 (up to 300/50Mbps)
Retail Price: €549
Description
The Huawei P9 reinvented smartphone photography
with its dual lens 12MP rear camera co-engineered
with Leica enabling you to capture high
quality pictures without compromising on the device’s
sleek and compact style. Boasting a powerful
Octa-Core processor, 3GB of RAM & 32GB of internal
storage, the Huawei P9 complements its top
notch hardware with a bold and colourful 5.2” full
HD IPS display.
Huawei P10 lite
4G+ capability: Category 6 (up
to 300/50Mbps)
Retail Price: €379
Description
The Huawei P10 lite is a pleasure
to hold and behold with a
double-sided 2.5D curved glass
and diamond cut metal frame.
Boasting a powerful Octa-Core
processor with 4GB RAM and
32GB of internal storage, it runs
the latest Android 7 Nougat
flawlessly. With a 5.2” Full HD
IPS display, Huawei’s Knuckle
Sense technology embedded
onto the P10 lite creates handy
shortcuts like tapping and
drawing on the screen to capture
screenshots or screen
recording.
Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
4G+ capability: Category 16 (up to 1024/150Mbps)
Retail price
Samsung Galaxy S8: €799
Samsung Galaxy S8+: €899
Description
Featuring a spectacular super AMOLED 5.8” and 6.2” Quad HD
end-to-end Infinity displays respectively, the Samsung Galaxy S8
and S8+ are powered with an Octa-Core processor, 4GB RAM and
64GB of internal storage. Complementing these powerful specifications
is also the latest Android 7 Nougat, a 12MP Dual Pixel
rear camera, an Iris scanner for the best security and Samsung’s
all new “Bixby” personal assistant.
Samsung Galaxy
S7 / S7 edge
4G+ capability: Category 9
(up to 450/50Mbps)
Retail Price:
Samsung Galaxy S7: €549
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge:
€649
Description
Redefining what a phone
can do, the Samsung
Galaxy S7 and S7 edge feature
a Quad HD 5.1” & 5.5”
super AMOLED displays respectively,
an Octa-Core
processor, 4GB RAM and
32GB of internal storage.
The first smartphone to
have a professional-grade
dual pixel 12MP rear camera,
it is able to shoot crisp,
clear photos with superfast
autofocus making sure to
give you a redefined smartphone
experience.

8 The Sunday Times of Malta JULY 23, 2017