Sure launches multi-million pound network upgrade

Wednesday 03 June 2020

Work has started on Sure's £3million project to upgrade their Channel Islands’ telecoms networks.

As part of the project, the undersea fibre connectivity which connects the islands to both the UK and France, and from there to the rest of the world, will be replaced and upgraded and engineers will commission new key networking equipment in London and Paris.

They say the upgrade work will enable both increased resiliency and extra capacity to be added in increments of 100 Gigabits; over ten times the technology used today.

Systems integration company, Telent, and network equipment manufacturer Juniper Networks, will be carrying out the work which is expected to complete by early 2021.

Pictured: Graham Hughes, Sure Jersey's Chief Executive.

Graham Hughes, Chief Executive at Sure Jersey, said committing to the project now is a sign of the company’s confidence in the islands’ economies to bounce back from the recent global pandemic.

“This is a significant long-term investment for Sure with the current situation a reminder that telecoms is a key and growing component of our economy and daily lives,” he added.

“There’s never been more demand on our networks and we want to make sure we stay well ahead of this demand by investing in long-term telecoms infrastructure that futureproofs the Channel Islands.”

Tony Moretta, CEO of Digital Jersey, added: “This investment will play a critical role in enhancing Jersey’s position as one of the best, digitally connected jurisdictions in the world.

"Recent events have proven that connectivity plays a critical role in our society and has made lockdown more feasible both economically and socially. The timing of the announcement reinforces our position as a finance destination of choice as we deliver the economic exit from the coronavirus pandemic.”