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Economic Development has confirmed its plans for the States to debate 5G licencing before the end of the year after a telco criticised delays in agreeing regulations for the technology.
The Committee had intended to bring a policy letter on 5G to the States at the end of last year with the government at one point hoping to have licences issued by 2023.
Nothing can be delivered until the Guernsey Competition & Regulatory Authority issues bespoke licences to interested businesses, but it can not do that until deputies approve a policy making clear the minimum standards and terms of services.
But now it has been confirmed that the States are likely to debate 5G regulations this year, which will allow the GCRA to get to work considering applications in 2025.
Clear Mobitel, a Welsh-registered company which holds telecoms licences in Guernsey and Jersey, had suggested that oversight of the proposed Sure/Airtel merger had swallowed up government time, taking focus away from 5G.
That merger recently won regulatory approval in Jersey with reduced competition concerns alleviated by a commitment for the CI Co-op to set up a virtual mobile network on Sure’s infrastructure. Deputies will need to sign off the deal with Economic Development seeking a waiver to competition law arguing the deal has wider social and economic benefits.
Sure is also committing to immediately invest around £35m in a 5G network across the Channel Islands as part of the deal.
Sure CEO Alistair Beak said that the company is “making several legally binding commitments to deliver high-speed data services, improved coverage, and greater value for money".
“This builds on Sure’s ongoing investment in Guernsey’s fibre network and means that Sure will directly invest a total of up to £60m across 5G and fibre in Guernsey by the end of 2026," he added.
Jersey has started the process of issuing licences to JT and Sure in July 2023, and JT along with its partner Ericsson have recently opened a 5G testing facility with a view to rolling out the technology island-wide by the end of next year.
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