GO’s True Fibre network project proceeding at a ‘very good rate’ despite ‘challenges,’ says CEO

GO plc CEO Nikhil Patil on Wednesday remarked that its True Fibre network project is growing at a “very good rate”, even though the telecommunications company faced some challenges in its introduction.

This came as GO announced that 75 per cent of households and 80 per cent of businesses in Malta now have “super-fast internet speeds” through its True Fibre network, a project that originally started in 2016. By the end of the eight-year project, GO will have invested over €100 million in broadband speeds to “future proof” homes and communities for the next century.

Speaking during a press conference in Luqa, one of the localities fully covered by the network, Mr Patil noted how this project potentially stands to go down as the company’s largest national project to date.

“Our reliance on the internet will continue to grow in ways we can’t predict today. But what we can do today is have access to a network that can handle our digital ambitions for the next 100 years,” he said.

He remarked that True Fibre is the “answer”, adding that “GO is the only operator that has invested so heavily to bring True Fibre into our homes and businesses, a network that enables life to happen at the speed of light”.

“Our True Fibre network project commenced in 2016 and notwithstanding the challenges, has been proceeding at a very good rate,” he continued. Mr Patil explained that to date, over 267,000 homes are now covered by the network, with the project set to be fully completed by the end of 2024, ahead of schedule.

Also addressing the conference, Minister for Economy, EU Funds and Lands Silvio Schembri said that this is a “significant” milestone for GO and Malta.

“This milestone puts Malta well above the EU average in terms of national coverage and well placed to be at the top of the EU leaderboard to reach full nationwide fibre coverage by the end of 2024,” he said.

He added that through GO’s investment, businesses today have the “flexibility to operate at any place, any time, with increased efficiency”.

“Such an investment and commitment to the country only serves to increase our country’s competitive edge and contributes to our long-term sustainability,” Minister Schembri concluded.