SURE has completed its take-over of Airtel Vodafone.
The acquisition will lead to a £48 million investment in a new 5G mobile network, according to Sure.
There will be no immediate change for Sure or Airtel customers, as both companies continue to operate separately.
The move was approved by the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority in August with conditions due to the “risk that the merger would substantially lessen competition” in Jersey’s mobile-retail market.
A new mobile service from the Channel Islands Cooperative Society, using Sure’s network, is expected to launch within a year; this was one of the conditions imposed by the JCRA to protect competition.
Airtel Vodafone customers will also be able to continue their existing plans for up to three years.
Sure claimed the merger would put Jersey and Guernsey ahead of the UK in terms of security standards, and said the move would require a third fewer masts to run a network that provided “faster speeds and greater coverage”.
Sure Group chief executive Alistair Beak said it was an “exciting day for the future of Channel Island telecommunications”.
He added: “We want existing and new customers to know that the large investment we’re making will lead to significant improvements to their connectivity, speeds and coverage, as well as value for money through innovative products and services.
“The new mobile network, complemented by our extensive fibre network, will mean we can stay ahead of future demand driven by our increasingly digital lifestyles.”
