Guernsey Fibre is demonstrating how it’s contributing to the Guernsey economy with 100% of fibre employees being recruited locally and millions of pounds being spent with local suppliers.
As the installation ramps up, 75 new jobs are being created and seven local suppliers have been hired to give additional support to the project.
Guernsey Fibre has recruited fibre technicians, installers, planners, project managers, and community liaison officers, and is looking for more fibre installation technicians to join the team.
Once the network is complete, the team will be armed with the skills and experience needed to maintain Guernsey’s high-speed fibre broadband infrastructure.
Paul McKane, Guernsey Fibre Community Liaison Officer, said: “I joined the Guernsey Fibre team in December 2021 as the challenge of rolling out fibre broadband across the entire island appealed to me and I enjoy meeting new people.
“From the initial planning to the final connection of fibre to a customer’s home, the process is very rewarding. I have learnt a lot from some very experienced people and have completed online training. Working for Guernsey Fibre has been a great experience.”
Fibre broadband is already improving the lives of islanders as working from home is slicker, streaming is buffer-free, and online gaming is enhanced. In addition to the personal benefits, fibre is also enabling local businesses to thrive.
Businesses are saving time and money as upload, download and transfer times are significantly reduced. Productivity is also increased as employees can work at any time and from their homes with no impact on connection speeds. It’s possible for thousands of devices to be connected all at once meaning a large number of employees can work simultaneously without interruption.
Having the flexibility to be based anywhere on the island will expand economic possibilities and foster creativity and entrepreneurialism. Businesses will no longer need to rent an office, all industries including media heavy businesses such as photography or video editing can be run from home.
Guernsey Fibre’s Programme Director Richard Cartland said: “Guernsey Fibre is going to have huge economic benefits for the island and we’re proud to be providing this infrastructure. Throughout the recruitment process, we’ve been looking for future talent for the team – in most cases no experience has been necessary, just a passion for learning and technology. All the training that the team needs to successfully complete the installation is provided.
“We have made fantastic progress already and we’re pleased to be providing islanders with the opportunity to work on a once-in-a-lifetime development which will shape Guernsey’s future. This is a revolution in connectivity. Fibre will underpin Guernsey’s digital infrastructure and economy for decades to come.”
Guernsey Fibre reflects an investment of £37.5million, £25million of which is coming from Sure and up to £12.5million from the States of Guernsey.
All Guernsey homes will be fibre-ready by the end of 2025, with all properties having to be connected to the new network by the end of 2026. This target is on track with 10% of homes now ready to connect.
The main picture shows Ryan Moore installing Sure’s fibre infrastructure.
