Record speeds already being reached in Sure’s 5G trial

Friday 06 December 2019

Sure has been trialling 5G mobile technology in Guernsey since 15 November and it is already achieving "never-before-seen" mobile internet speeds on its network of 910Mbps.

The local telecoms operator has launched an innovative trial for this new technology and has invited hundreds of customers to take part and assess 5G for free to evaluate how it can benefit the lives of islanders and local businesses.

To date the 5G trial has reached a top speed of 910 Mbps which is around 30 times the average download speed of 34Mbps that most islanders can currently achieve on fixed broadband. Sure believes that 5G’s potential is best described as ‘fibre in the air’ as it will exceed the speeds and reliability of fibre broadband without the need for cables.

“To be achieving these record-breaking speeds so early in the trial demonstrates the exciting potential of 5G,” said Justin Bellinger, Sure’s Chief Executive in Guernsey.

Pictured: Justin Bellinger. 

“Now we’ve established that the 5G network is working so well we have moved to the next phase of the trial, which involves customers using the technology for the very first time in Guernsey.”

CICRA recently announced its timetable for the award of 5G commercial licences and Sure believes its free 5G customer trial will provide valuable real-user experience and customer feedback to this process. 

Operators will be invited to bid for spectrum with recommendations made to Ofcom for the awards during 2020.

“We’ll be gathering a lot of great insight and this will help Sure shape the way we plan to deploy and develop our 5G service and establish a clear vision to present to Cicra and the States of Guernsey for a full commercial launch,” Mr Bellinger added.

“Bringing gigabit speeds to everyone across the island will enable our customers to do so much more. Initially this will involve downloading and uploading content in seconds, supporting more devices on the network and connecting everything constantly. The lower latency will allow devices to communicate seamlessly, providing an enhanced experience.”

Sure is trialling 5G technology in Vale and St Peter Port for the next three months to assess how customers will use the transformational technology. If customers in these areas want to enquire about participation in the trial they can find out more information at sure.com/guernsey/5g.

Pictured top: File image.