Sure criticises regulator after £3m fines reversed

The company that provides Guernsey's telecoms infrastructure has criticised the island's competition regulator after £3m of fines were overturned on appeal.

The Guernsey Competition and Regulatory Authority (GCRA) issued fines to Sure, as well as its rival JT, between 2019 and 2022 for alleged anti-competitive behaviour.

However, the Royal Court set aside GCRA's decision to fine the companies because the regulator failed to follow the correct procedure.

Alistair Beak, Sure's CEO, said the case had been a "staggering waste of time, effort and money". The GCRA said it was reviewing the judgement and considering its next steps.

GCRA had issued the fines to Sure and JT broke for allegedly breaking rules including sharing "commercially-sensitive information" and co-ordinating with each other, the judgement issued on 7 March said.

Mr Beak said GCRA had ignored "the simple fact that Sure had been strongly encouraged by the States of Guernsey to explore the possibility of launching a single 5G network".

He said: "We strongly believe that the States of Guernsey should be holding the GCRA's chief executive, chairman and board to account over what is, in our view, an appalling waste of taxpayers' money, given the flawed approach taken by the regulator."

A GCRA spokesperson said: "The judgment is very detailed and the GCRA is reviewing it at the present time and is considering next steps.

"It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

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