Islanders' views sought on future of broadband

Guernsey's competition authority found Luxembourg and Singapore had more transparency over prices and a better customer experience

People and businesses in Guernsey are being asked to share their views on the future of broadband in the island by the bailiwick's competition authority.

The Guernsey Competition and Regulatory Authority (GCRA) is asking for the responses as part of its consultation on wholesale broadband services.

The organisation said it was exploring ideas to create a "more level playing field" for companies selling broadband as part of its mission to ensure "first-class digital infrastructure" for Guernsey.

A spokesperson for the GCRA said: "Innovation incentivises and enhances competition which, in turn, benefits all those who use digital services."

Guernsey's broadband infrastructure is currently maintained by Sure, while other providers such as JT and Vodaphone-Airtel can lease bandwidth and resell it to customers.

GCRA is asking for people's opinions on possible innovations including bitstreaming and dark fibre - both ways for a network provider to allow resellers more control of connections to consumers.

The organisation recently published a consultation paper comparing Guernsey's broadband offering to three other offshore finance centres - Jersey, Singapore and Luxembourg.

It found Guernsey had the second-lowest average wholesale broadband prices, while Luxembourg and Singapore had more transparency over prices and a better customer experience.