Islanders spending more on broadband than in 2020

People in the Channel Islands are spending more money on their broadband bills now than they were in 2020.

A report from Jersey Statistics found the average monthly spend by customers in Guernsey went up by 16% to £86.55, and in Jersey by just under 8% to £82.17, from 2020 to 2024.

The prices did not keep up with inflation on the islands which went up in by 27.3% and 30% respectively in the same period.

Guernsey and Jersey's two biggest broadband providers, Sure and JT, both said they "remained committed to supporting customers", and highlighted changing consumer habits as one reason for rising costs.

The report highlighted a rise in data usage by customers on both islands, and a drop in average monthly SMS messages and call minutes.

A spokesperson for Sure said it wanted its deals to be "cost-effective".

"We understand that value matters more than ever, especially as industries across the board face rising costs due to inflation," Mike Fawkner-Corbett, acting chief commercial officer said.

"We're committed to helping our customers stay connected in the most cost-effective way possible."

JT said because of working from home and streaming, broadband services now "play a much bigger role in the way people live".

"Consumer usage patterns have evolved significantly," Pip Carpenter, head of commercial markets at JT said.

"On-island mobile data consumption is up 40% since 2020, and the average user now consumes around 10 GB per month.

"We regularly review our services to ensure they remain competitive and responsive to our customers' changing needs."

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