Rolling out fibre is Guernsey’s largest-ever digital infrastructure project, and it has now reached a major milestone, with more than half of Guernsey properties able to connect to the new network.
18,000 properties spanning all 10 parishes can now sign up for fibre services from Sure, JT and Airtel and more than 10,000 islanders have embraced the revolution in digital connectivity and are enjoying the benefits of fibre broadband, including the ultra-fast speeds and a more resilient connection.
Alistair Beak, Sure’s Group CEO, celebrated the significant milestone: “We are all living increasingly digital lives and the fibre roll out is transforming the whole broadband landscape in Guernsey. Connecting more than 10,000 properties to the network is a huge milestone.
“This whole project is about future proofing Guernsey and ensuring the island has access to world-class digital networks. Providing up to 2Gbps of broadband speed to a home has a huge impact on a household’s day-to-day digital needs, and we are proud to see this reflected in customer feedback and consistently high customer satisfaction scores.
“Fibre technology is playing a vital role in connecting our island community for a better future, and we’re proud to be collaborating with the States of Guernsey on the roll out, investing millions of pounds in the digital infrastructure that the island needs to be a global technology leader.”
The benefits of fibre include no connection fees, and speeds range from 50Mbps to 2Gbps, including the same speeds for uploads and downloads. The entry-level 50Mbps plan is 20Mbps faster than the equivalent plan on the copper network, offering better performance at a lower monthly cost.
Every property in the island will be able to connect to the new network by the end of 2025. Everyone, including landline-only customers, will need to switch to fibre by the end of 2026, when the copper network will be retired.
The Guernsey Fibre programme’s accelerated roll out was made possible by a £12.5m investment by the States of Guernsey. It is provided as a wholesale service to all Guernsey licensed operators who wish to provide retail broadband services to their customers.
President of the Committee for Economic Development Deputy Neil Inder said: “Reaching the point where half of all properties are now fibre-ready is a major milestone, and I look forward to the programme being completed in the next couple of years so virtually every home is able to switch. The fibre network means better speeds and high-quality performance, which individuals and businesses rightly expect and which is essential to our competitiveness as a jurisdiction in the future.”
Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, the Economic Development lead for Digital, Skills and Entrepreneurship, said: “The public-private partnership between Sure and the States of Guernsey to accelerate the universal fibre roll out is a cornerstone of the States Digital Framework launched this political term. It’s fantastic to see the halfway milestone reached, which means more possibilities for innovation, for developing new products, for growing Guernsey’s businesses and for enjoying the many benefits of fibre for households.”
