Free Broadband Boost on Guernsey as FTTP Rollout Reaches 75 Percent

Mobile and broadband operator Sure recently confirmed that their roll-out of full fibre (FTTP) broadband on the English Channel Island of Guernsey had now reached 75% of premises (with take-up of 15,000 premises), which puts them on-track to complete the build phase by the end of 2025. Many customers are also being given free speed boosts as part of the upgrade.

Just to recap. Sure is working alongside the States of Guernsey on a joint £37.5m project (£12.5m of public investment) to build a new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across the whole of Guernsey (30,000+ premises) by the end of 2026 (end of 2025 for build completion and 2026 for copper retirement). The previous update in May 2024 revealed that Sure had covered 18,000 premises (inc. 10,000 customers), which was up from 9,000 a year earlier (credits to the BBC News for the latest stats). Customers can order packages via Sure, JT and Airtel.

As part of this, Sure recently announced that thousands of their new and existing customers would also “enjoy significant speed increases this winter” when their fibre plans are upgraded “free of charge“. The upgrades, which will see some customers being boosted to speeds of up to 500Mbps, started this month and are due to be completed in January 2025.

For example, customers on Sure’s Basic Fibre will get a 50% speed uplift to 75Mbps, with those on Essential Fibre doubling their current 75Mbps speed to 150Mbps. Meanwhile, customers on Sure’s fastest Gigabit, Hyperfast and Hyperfast Plus packages will remain on their current speeds but will see a reduction in their monthly bill. Savings will be up to £34 per month, equating to £408 per year.

Mike Fawkner-Corbett, Acting Chief Commercial Officer at Sure, said:

“Our fibre network has been developed for amazing speeds, as the technology continues to advance it is crucial that we provide our customers with the best possible service. This upgrade demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that islanders have access to fast, reliable broadband that can meet their growing digital needs.

We want to enhance the customer experience – we’ve listened and know our customers want faster speeds, better value, and seamless WiFi everywhere in their home. That is why we are improving our plans and expanding what customers get when they sign up to fibre with Sure.”

Islanders currently considering a switch to Sure’s fibre or standard broadband packages will also receive their “hassle-free broadband offer” when they sign up or re-sign their contract:

➤ A free professional installation
➤ A free WiFi health-check with the Home Tech Team (valued at £45)
➤ A free router (valued at £108)
➤ A free mesh WiFi extender (valued at £72)