Reference is being made to a story published in a local newspaper titled “Malta risks losing out on EU grant for free WiFi”. The Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government would like to clarify that, presently, Malta enjoys free Wifi with at least 4 outdoor access points in the vast majority of localities. The WiFi in our localities will continue and will remain free.
The government is committed to increasing the free WiFi service by enhancing the current technology in order to increase access points as well as the speed of service.
It should be noted that Wifi4EU funds could only be accessed due to resources made available by the ministry to assist Maltese local councils. Had the ministry not intervened, such funds would not have been available due to the strict application process and requirements.
As indicated in the article itself, only “3000” municipalities across the EU have completed their Wifi4EU projects, out of a total of 29,239 municipalities that have registered for these funds. This means that only about 10% of municipalities across Europe have so far managed to use WiFi4EU funds.
In Malta’s case, in connection with this programme, the tender was issued according to the normal tender procedure (Electronic Public Procurement System) and only one supplier tendered his bid. The offer was considered but the negotiations were not successfully concluded, therefore alternative measures are currently being considered.
The government is committed to not only improve the current free WiFi system but also to find the right solution to use WiFi4EU vouchers.
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