Channel Islands Regulators Fast-Track Mobile Number Porting Solution Following Commercial Dispute Between JT and Coop Mobile

Channel Islands regulators secure a March 2026 deadline for JT to enable mobile number portability, ending a dispute that blocked Coop Mobile customers.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 3, 2026, 10:49 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from ISPreview

Accelerating Competition in the Channel Islands Telecom Sector

The regulatory bodies for Jersey and Guernsey have successfully negotiated a significantly shortened timeline for technical upgrades essential to mobile market competition. Under pressure from the Jersey and Guernsey Competition Regulatory Authorities, incumbent provider JT has agreed to enable full Mobile Number Portability for Coop Mobile by March 17, 2026. This development marks a victory for consumer mobility, as it effectively removes a significant barrier that had previously deterred subscribers from migrating their services to the newly established virtual operator.

The Fallout of a Strategic Infrastructure Merger

The necessity for Coop Mobile arose from a 2024 decision by the States of Guernsey to suspend local competition laws, facilitating a 48 million pound merger between Sure and Airtel Vodafone. A core condition of this consolidation was the creation of the Channel Island Co-op’s mobile service to preserve market choice during the rollout of a unified 5G network. However, the launch was immediately hampered when Sure and Coop Mobile filed formal complaints, alleging that JT was technically unable or unwilling to facilitate the porting of existing mobile numbers to the new entrant.

Forced Cooperation Amidst Regulatory Disappointment

The Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority and its Guernsey counterpart intervened after JT’s initial roadmap suggested that the necessary system changes would not be operational until at least May 2026. While the regulators expressed satisfaction with the new March deadline, they remained pointedly critical of the fact that formal intervention was required to reach a commercial resolution. According to Tim Ringsdore, CEO of the JCRA, and Michael Byrne, CEO of the GCRA, the ability for customers to retain their numbers is a non-negotiable component of an effective telecoms market.