Guernsey Committee Proposes Policy for Next-Generation Technology Deployment

The Committee for Economic Development has requested that the States of Deliberation approve the advancement and deployment of new technology within Guernsey. A policy letter from the committee stated that a neutral licensing framework would facilitate the future rollout of next-generation mobile technology, specifically mentioning 5G, across the Bailiwick. The committee indicated that it has established guiding principles and objectives for the Guernsey Competition and Regulatory Authority to take into account when “modifying or issuing telecoms licences.” According to the committee, the “benefits” provided by 5G and subsequent technologies are expected to allow for the introduction of “new applications, services and products to drive the economy forward.” The committee stated: “The adoption of 5G technology, and others which may succeed it, is considered critical to keeping Guernsey’s competitive edge from a digital perspective.” It added, “Technology neutral spectrum licensing will help local telecoms operators to deploy 5G and successive technologies in line with market demand and by keeping pace with emerging technologies.” Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, who serves as the economic development lead for digital, skills, and entrepreneurship, commented that establishing next-generation digital infrastructure has been identified as a “strategic priority” and a “key pillar” of the digital framework introduced in 2021. She further stated: “The implementation of 5G technology will be a key milestone in that work and will complete a significant amount of investment and policy development into Guernsey’s digital capability prioritised and delivered by the States of Guernsey this political term.” Deputy Kazantseva-Miller concluded by noting: “With PwC predicting that 5G will boost global GDP by over a trillion dollars in the next 10 years, the Bailiwick will be well placed to harness this potential.”