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Sure has partnered with Huawei, the leading global provider of information and communications technology infrastructure, to showcase 5G mobile technology to businesses, the government, customers and the public in Jersey for the first time.
Sure has brought the Huawei 5G exhibition truck to the island to demonstrate some of the capabilities of 5G technology including smart healthcare, drone application and smart driving.
This event marks the start of Sure’s 5G engagement process which will involve gathering feedback from customers, businesses, the States of Jersey and other local organisations so Sure can get a better understanding of the island’s 5G requirements and how best to roll out the technology.
“Sure is focused on bringing the most suitable 5G solution to the island to underpin the economy and help us all thrive in an increasingly digital future,” said Ian Kelly, Sure’s CEO.
“This is the first step of the journey; introducing 5G technology to the island will be a complicated process and will involve a huge amount of investment. Therefore Sure is already discussing the best approach for this investment programme with the States of Jersey, CICRA and other parties so we can agree a strategy that will enable us to build a 5G network that will benefit the entire community.
“Jersey is already very well served when it comes to mobile technology – Sure’s 4G services are the fastest in the Channel Islands and our customers are the most satisfied with the network and the mobile reception they receive.
“5G is different; it will bring new and exciting developments and facilitate innovative ways of connecting our community. Providing an insight into how this emerging technology could work and getting feedback at this early stage from different members of our community will allow us to plan, develop and deliver 5G technology that best fits the island’s requirements.”
Sure recently commissioned research from its customer panel to find out their expectations of 5G technology. 61% of customers in Jersey surveyed are positive about the potential introduction of 5G and 35% think it is very important and that it will make a big difference. The majority are also expecting faster speeds with 5G with 72% of people thinking it will enable them to load things quickly.
“It’s interesting that customers already associate 5G technology with faster data speeds – we’re expecting 5G to be at least ten times faster than 4G but our 4G network already offers speeds of up to 200 Mbps which far exceeds the requirements of most customers so it isn’t all about speed,” said Graham Hughes, Sure’s chief executive in Jersey.
“5G will improve our mobile experiences through the increased number of connections, improved latency and higher throughput connecting devices from fridges to driverless cars, with technology that will adjust according to the use.
“5G will change how we think about networks, how we build the associated infrastructure and the way our society connects through the Internet of Things (IoT). It will enable applications that are yet to enter the mainstream or that we find difficult to envisage today.
“There’s still a lot to learn about how we might utilise it here in Jersey but I hope by showcasing some of the capabilities of 5G, together with Huawei, we’ve been able to bring this emerging technology to life for islanders and to start people thinking and talking about how it could benefit the island in the future.”
