The Channel Islands Competition and Regulatory Authority (CICRA) has confirmed that it has awarded the LTE-suitable spectrum to three successful applicants, Telegeography.com reported on July 25, 2014. In revealing the development, the regulator noted that JT, Sure and Airtel successfully submitted bids for new frequencies by the June 4 deadline. Following evaluation of the bids, CICRA has now said it is working with the UK’s telecoms watchdog Ofcom to ensure that local consumers have access to 4G services as soon as possible. Meanwhile, for their part, the trio of cellcos has committed to a rollout timetable, as well as having pledged to meet certain levels of speed and coverage. Financial details regarding the spectrum and information about the amount of frequencies have yet to be made public.

Commenting on the spectrum award, CICRA chief executive Michael Byrne said: “The three winning operators have demonstrated a strong commitment to invest in 4G technology, which is an emphatic vote of confidence for the Channel Islands … Customers are the ultimate winners and will benefit from greater capacity and speed when transmitting data that’s available from 4G. We look forward to seeing new innovative services that utilize the spectrum.”