THE proposed merger of Sure and Airtel Vodaphone in the Channel Islands could generate a new mobile service through a link-up with the Channel Islands Cooperative Society.
Under commitments made by Sure to the competition regulator to try to clinch the deal, the company has reached an agreement with the CI Coop which it says would maintain choice for consumers – if the merger is approved.
The agreement means that the Coop would become a mobile virtual network operator – or MVNO – allowing it to use Sure’s network to provide its own range of mobile services, offering Coop customers the choice between JT, Sure and the new service.
Sure’s group chief executive Alistair Beak described the approach, the first such agreement locally, as “the ideal way to preserve competition and customer choice which are key to regulatory approval”.
In the UK, Tesco Mobile is the largest MVNO with more than five million customers.
Coop chief executive Mark Cox said the business was always looking for opportunities to innovate and offer more choice and value to its customers.
“Coop Mobile is an exciting venture for us, for our members and for our customers across the islands, who will benefit from Sure’s investment in the latest technology and our unbeatable retail expertise,” he said.
Sure says that the agreement with the Coop – one of seven legally-binding commitments provided to the regulator under the proposed merger – would offer customers improved services and security, and fair competition.
The company lodged its application for approval of the merger with Airtel Vodaphone in November 2022 but the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority stopped the clock on the merger process in October last year, seeking further information to assess whether commitments made by Sure addressed its competition concerns.
The JCRA confirmed last week that sufficient information had been provided to allow the merger application to be assessed.
It said that its next actions, which are believed to include a public consultation, were expected “over the coming days”.
