Sure plans faster internet for more homes this autumn

Price comparison website cable.co.uk has recently published its 2019 broadband speed league table, which has Jersey at number three, behind Taiwan and Singapore, having risen from 10 last year as a result of JT offering high speed fibre connections to its customers. Guernsey is at number 44, which, while a long way behind the other Channel Island, is better than its 2018 position of 54.

While the average broadband speed recorded by the Cable research in Jersey was 67.46Mbps, Guernsey’s was 18.26Mbps.

‘We’re pleased to see that Guernsey’s position in Cable.co.uk’s broadband league table has improved this year,’ said Sure’s chief digital officer Justin Bellinger.

Sure is planning to roll out more multi-service access node boxes to bring connections closer to people’s homes, enabling them to access higher speeds of up to 100Mbps.

‘This autumn we’ll be adding new, smaller units to our network which will deliver faster speeds to those customers who don’t live near a larger MSAN unit,’ said Mr Bellinger.

While the company often tests ways of attaining faster speeds, he said the emphasis was on providing a reliable and efficient broadband service.

‘In an era of multi-device households and increasingly busy networks, that is often achieved by customers reviewing their needs and ensuring they have a connection that meets their requirements.’

A lot of people can access speeds of up to 100mbps and can check if their line is suitable by using the online checker at www.sure.com/speed.

JT has spent more than £15m. over the last 10 years on network investments in Guernsey, said the company’s corporate affairs director Daragh McDermott. ‘JT, as the only locally owned telco, is committed to building the best broadband access infrastructure possible across the Channel Islands,’ he said.

Among these investments has been its 4G mobile network and fibre connections to local homes and JT has been talking to the States as it looks towards its next phase of investment in Guernsey.

‘This next phase will include investments in even faster 4G, new 5G and more fibre being rolled out across Guernsey,’ said Mr McDermott. ‘In essence, we know that customers want faster, more reliable speeds and by working closely with the States of Guernsey, we plan to invest to ensure those requirements are satisfied.’

. Cable.co.uk’s survey also discovered:

The global average broadband internet speed is 11.03Mbps. Taiwan has the fastest internet speed in the world, overtaking Singapore with an average speed of 85.02Mbps.Yemen has the slowest internet speed in the world with an average speed of just 0.38Mbps. To download a five gigabyte film in Taiwan would take you eight minutes. In Yemen, it would take you more than 30 hours.