JT Global Switches On Guernsey’s First 5G Sites in St Peter Port

JT Global switched on Guernsey’s first two 5G sites in and around St Peter Port on Wednesday, June 17, becoming the first operator to publicly announce live 5G coverage on the island. The two initial sites sit inside a phased deployment programme JT says will extend coverage across Guernsey over the next four months. The rollout is part of what the company calls “significant investment” in mobile infrastructure across the Channel Islands.

Chief technology officer Alessandro Bovone called the switch-on a significant step forward for the island’s digital infrastructure. The network is built in partnership with Ericsson as a combination of 4G, 5G Non-Standalone (NSA), and 5G Standalone (SA). Wi-Fi calling for Guernsey customers is included at no additional cost, the same offer JT launched alongside 5G in Jersey. The Jersey rollout entered its public phase in 2025. JT describes Guernsey as the second public leg of the same network transformation.

Two Live Sites, A Four-Month Path To Island Coverage

JT Global has pointed Guernsey customers to a dedicated Guernsey 5G rollout update page that tracks coverage by area, lists affected streets, and warns of temporary dips in indoor signal during scheduled works. The first two live sites sit in and around St Peter Port, and 5G is visible on compatible devices in the area. The operator said the rollout will extend coverage across Guernsey over the next four months through a phased deployment programme. JT has previously described its Channel Islands investment as a multi-million-pound programme.

The schedule mirrors the phased approach JT used on Jersey in 2025. The Jersey rollout’s first sites went live in St Ouen in a weekend migration handled by JT and Ericsson engineers at the JT Network Operation Centre. Full 5G SA in Jersey was expected by the end of 2025, and JT now describes Guernsey as the second public leg of the same network transformation.

JT’s claim of being the first operator to deliver 5G services in Guernsey depends on what counts as “first.” The Guernsey Competition and Regulatory Authority (GCRA) signalled in late 2025 that it intended to approve both JT and rival Sure for 5G mobile licences across the Bailiwick. JT is the first to publicly announce sites live. Sure has not publicly confirmed its own 5G switch-on in Guernsey as of the JT announcement. As of the June 17 statement, JT is publicly ahead of rivals on the island.

• 2: 5G sites live in and around St Peter Port on June 17
• 4 months: planned rollout window for island-wide Guernsey coverage
• 1: operator confirmed live publicly (JT Global); Sure licensed but not announced
• 1: technology partner named in the rollout: Ericsson

What “5G Standalone” Means for Guernsey

The Guernsey deployment is built as one end-to-end network that combines three technologies at once, which JT’s enterprise page explains in a customer-facing comparison of 5G Standalone and Non-Standalone. 4G handles voice and legacy traffic, 5G NSA rides on existing 4G infrastructure for faster speeds, and 5G SA runs on a dedicated 5G core that JT calls “true” 5G. JT’s marketing material describes the 5G Standalone build as “the most advanced form of 5G available.” Customers in Guernsey will also get Wi-Fi calling at no additional cost.

JT is selling the SA upgrade as the next step for the island’s mobile network. Bovone described the move as creating “a powerful platform for the digital services and opportunities of tomorrow,” a line JT has echoed in its own marketing. JT’s customer-facing copy calls the SA build “the most advanced form of 5G available” and promises improved speeds, stronger signal strength, enhanced capacity, and lower latency for islanders.

Initial performance testing, JT said, indicated the new network will deliver “a significant step-change in connectivity.” The SA architecture, JT says, brings ultra-low latency, greater capacity, and more reliable performance compared with NSA. The Ericsson deployment on Jersey was already running that SA architecture across multiple “Areas” as 2025 drew to a close. Guernsey follows the same script Jersey ran in 2025.

The SA architecture is what JT calls “true” 5G. Wi-Fi calling comes included in all JT mobile plans, the same offer that accompanied 5G in Jersey. Guernsey customers get the same package JT has been building toward since the Jersey rollout.

The Regulator That Held Things Up

Bovone was direct about the schedule slippage, calling the process one that had taken longer than anticipated because of regulatory approvals. He said JT is now moving at pace, with the spectrum licensing framework finally in place. The CTO put the schedule slippage down to the GCRA’s work on spectrum licensing. That licensing covered JT’s right to broadcast on the new 5G frequencies.

While the process has taken longer than anticipated due to regulatory approvals, we are pleased to now be moving at pace and to be the first operator to deliver 5G services in Guernsey.

Alessandro Bovone, JT Group’s chief technology officer, made the statement in the June 17 rollout announcement. The GCRA signalled approval for both JT and Sure in late 2025, after both operators applied for access to 5G bandwidth in the Bailiwick. JT’s own schedule depended on spectrum licensing details that took longer than the operator expected. The regulator has said it intended to approve both JT and Sure for licences to deliver 5G mobile services across the Bailiwick. JT is the first to publicly confirm sites live on Guernsey.

JT had already done the underlying work. Ericsson’s statement on the Jersey launch noted that “JT has already invested in extensive core network equipment in Guernsey as part of this initiative and stands ready to switch the radio network to match the capabilities of Jersey’s once the Guernsey Regulator establishes a spectrum licensing framework for the deployment of 5G and future technologies.” That earlier investment let JT move at pace once the regulator’s approval arrived. The CTO put the slippage down to the GCRA’s licensing work.

Built With Ericsson, With Jersey as the Test Bed

Ericsson is the technology partner on both sides of the Channel Islands build. JT’s description of the network, repeated in coverage of the Jersey launch as a leading European move, calls the SA core “a significant first for the Channel Islands and a leading early mover in Europe.” The Jersey launch event took place at JT’s Network Operation Centre, where JT engineers worked in sync with Ericsson’s Global Network Operations Centre via a live link. Both teams migrated the old network on sites within Area One in St Ouen over a single weekend. The migration took “months of trials and painstaking optimisation testing” before the public switch-on.

The Jersey rollout is the proof point for the Guernsey build. JT and Ericsson engineers opened more “Areas” in phases over several months after the St Ouen switch-on. Full 5G SA in Jersey was expected by the end of 2025, and JT now describes Guernsey as following the same phased script.

JT will be the 60th operator globally to launch 5G SA, on a vendor footprint that Ericsson says already covers 183 5G networks in 77 countries. Ericsson, in its own statement on the Jersey launch, framed the Channel Islands build as more than a regional upgrade. Katherine Ainley, Chief Executive of Ericsson UK and Ireland, said Ericsson and JT “share a vision for next-generation connectivity that creates new possibilities for people, businesses, and society.” The vendor’s description, repeated by JT, calls the deployment one of the few networks globally to use end-to-end Ericsson technology.

JT has adopted Ericsson’s “leading early mover” framing in its own marketing, repeating the vendor’s line about being one of the few networks globally with end-to-end Ericsson technology. The phrase shows up across JT’s enterprise pages.

What Customers See and Don’t See Yet

For now, 5G shows up on compatible devices in St Peter Port and the surrounding area. JT’s 5G hub tracks the rollout and lists which handsets work with the new network, with coverage expanding as each scheduled site goes live. Indoor coverage may dip temporarily during scheduled works in the affected areas. JT’s enterprise FAQ warns that “you’ll also need a new SIM to activate SA.”

To use the full 5G Standalone experience, JT customers need to meet a small checklist. Wi-Fi calling requires a working broadband connection at home, work, or a cafe. Customers who already meet these requirements are ready to switch on.

• A 5G SA-compatible handset whose manufacturer has enabled the feature
• A new SIM card from JT, available at upgrade or in JT shops
• An active JT mobile plan
• For Wi-Fi calling, a working broadband connection

The Channel Islands Stakes

JT framed the Guernsey launch in language borrowed from the Jersey rollout, with the CTO saying the build is about “investing in the future.” The Channel Islands programme links two islands, one Ericsson core, and two operators licensed by their respective regulators. Jersey Minister for Sustainable Economic Development Kirsten Morel, at the Jersey launch, described the build as creating “the potential for Jersey to be a global testbed for digital solutions.” JT now carries that framing into the Guernsey build.

Sure, the Bailiwick’s other major mobile operator, holds a 5G licence for Guernsey alongside Alderney and Sark. JT has not said when Sure will go live with its own 5G sites, and Sure has not announced a date publicly. Sure’s own 5G switch-on has not been publicly dated.

The phased four-month programme that began on June 17 is the public test of JT’s claim. JT’s coverage map will update as new sites go live.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will 5G coverage be available across all of Guernsey?

JT Global said coverage will be extended across Guernsey over the next four months through a phased deployment, with the first two sites live in St Peter Port on June 17.

Which devices work with the new JT 5G network?

JT’s dedicated 5G hub lists which handsets are compatible. To access full 5G Standalone, customers need a compatible device whose manufacturer has enabled the feature, plus a new SIM card from JT.

Is JT Global the only operator offering 5G in Guernsey?

JT is the first operator to publicly announce live 5G sites in Guernsey. The Guernsey Competition and Regulatory Authority approved both JT and Sure for 5G mobile licences across the Bailiwick, including Alderney and Sark.

What is 5G Standalone and how is it different from regular 5G?

5G Standalone runs on a dedicated 5G core, while 5G Non-Standalone uses existing 4G infrastructure for faster speeds. JT describes Standalone as “true” 5G, with ultra-low latency, greater capacity, and more reliable performance.