The island is facing “significant telecommunications service and security risks”, a Minister has warned – after the UK regulator that has been responsible for the allocation of phone numbers in Jersey for over two decades discovered it had “no legal basis” for doing so.
Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel said the issue could result in disruption to “critical” infrastructure projects, such as network transformation programmes and the launch of services.
He has lodged a proposition that would see the Telecommunications (Jersey) Law 2002 amended, to give powers to UK regulator OFCOM and the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority relating to the allocation, management and withdrawal of phone numbers.
All three Crown Dependency Governments agreed that this issue was a priority to address and will put in place the appropriate solution
Economic development minister kirsten morel
In the report accompanying his proposal, Deputy Morel explained that at the end of last year, OFCOM discovered that there was “no legal basis” for its practice of allocating numbers in Jersey or the other Crown Dependencies.
“OFCOM is unable to further allocate telephone numbers in Jersey until this legal basis is put in place,” he explained, adding that this posed “significant telecommunications service and security risks” in the island.
Deputy Morel said: “Without the necessary legal framework, OFCOM and the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority (the “JCRA”) cannot enforce new security requirements regarding the use of +44 numbers, potentially allowing Jersey providers to engage in activities harmful to the security interests of Jersey and the UK.”
He also noted that the inability to allocate new phone numbers was “likely to disrupt critical telecommunications infrastructure projects, such as network transformation programmes and the launch of services”, citing the expected launch of the Co-op mobile service as an example.
But Deputy Morel stated that, if adopted, the legal amendments would help ensure “the continued availability, reliability and security of Jersey’s telecommunications networks and services”.
“As the telephone numbering issue affects all of the Crown Dependencies, the Government of Guernsey and the Isle of Man Government have been part of the engagement process,” he added.
“All three Crown Dependency Governments agreed that this issue was a priority to address and will put in place the appropriate solution.
“The Crown Dependencies each has its own unique legislative environment and so the practical solutions may differ.”