The deal will reportedly trigger a £48m investment in a mobile network to include 5G services and complement Guernsey's ultrafast, state-of-the-art fibre broadband network. According to Sure, 5G will be delivered in Guernsey and Jersey on “an accelerated programme that will provide high-speed gigabit mobile technology to the islands”.
Sure said it planned to integrate the Airtel-Vodafone team into a newly merged business once the deal had received regulatory approval.
Alistair Beak, Sure’s Group CEO, said: "This merger will result in significant investment being made in the Channel Islands’ digital infrastructure at a time when demand for connectivity has never been greater.
“Putting customers first, it will create a brand-new future-proofed mobile network which will improve coverage, value and reliability, and provide gigabit speeds to complement Guernsey’s new fibre network.”
According to the company, the new network will be highly secure, using the most trusted technology, which will achieve full compliance with High-Risk Vendor (HRV) regulations ahead of schedule and with around one third fewer masts and a lower carbon footprint.
