History
Already a global telecommunications company, Cable & Wireless first entered the Channel Islands market when it purchased Guernsey Telecoms (formerly the States Telecommunications Board) from the States of Guernsey.
The service was originally founded on 17 June 1896 as the States Telephone Department to “establish, maintain and operate” an independent telephone system for the island which would have a maximum of 400 subscribers. Guernsey, together with Kingston-upon-Hull (see Kingston Communications), was outside of the telecommunications monopoly which was created in the British Isles in 1912 by the General Post Office following its purchase of the National Telephone Company Limited.
On 1 October 2001, following a decision by the States of Guernsey to privatise the telecoms industry, operations were transferred from the States of Guernsey Telecommunications Board to a new corporate structure called Guernsey Telecoms Ltd in preparation for privatisation. On 30 May 2002, the company was sold to Cable & Wireless. One of the first changes that islanders noticed was that the telephone kiosks which were previously yellow, were repainted blue.
Four months later on 30 September 2002, the company was rebranded as Cable and Wireless Guernsey, and following the expansion into Jersey and the Isle of Man, it was re-branded as Sure.
Sure launched in the Isle of Man on the 3 June 2007. Throughout the island they offer Mobile and Broadband services to both business and residential clients, their mobile network is wholly owned and operated by them selves, broadband is wholesale purchased from the Islands principle communications company, Manx Telecom. Sure has permission to offer fixed-line telephone services across Manx Telecom's lines.
Sure launched their own 16Mb Broadband service in the Isle of Man on 1 November 2010 and on 1 September 2011 were the first Telecoms company to take pre-orders for VDSL2 (Supplied Wholesale from Manx Telecom) up to 40Mb broadband (2Mb up) which launched on 1 October 2011.
Read more about this topic: Sure (Cable & Wireless)
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