The Sure Group’s migration of Airtel-Vodafone smooths the path to 5G

The Sure Group’s migration of Airtel-Vodafone subscribers has smoothed the path for their £48m 5G plans. Squire Technologies is pleased to assist with the migration. The project ensures prepaid services continue as customers effortlessly move to Sure’s core.

In September 2024, State of Guernsey politicians suspended competition laws, allowing Sure’s acquisition of Airtel-Vodafone. The purchase, completed in November, secures the skills and experience of Airtel-Vodafone’s staff for Sure.

Sure’s path to 5G

Following the conclusion of the purchase, which started in October 2022, Sure wasted no time pushing ahead with its plans. In February 2025, State of Guernsey politicians approved Sure’s 5G network plans. The plans will deliver 5G to Guernsey residents by early 2026.

Alistair Beak, Sure’s Group CEO, welcomed the merger as good news for customers and the Channel Islands:

‘This merger will result in significant investment being made in the Channel Islands’ digital infrastructure at a time when demand for connectivity has never been greater,’ he said.

‘Putting customers first, it will create a brand-new future-proofed mobile network which will improve coverage, value and reliability, and provide gigabit speeds to complement Guernsey’s new fibre network.’ Sure to revolutionise mobile digital connectivity with Airtel Vodafone acquisition | Sure

Additionally, the project requires one-third fewer masts than the existing infrastructure. The project’s lower carbon impact will be better for the environment. The Sure Group will also introduce a new MVNO. The MVNO, a collaboration with Guernsey’s Co-operative, commits to maintaining tariffs for 36 months for existing Sure and Airtel customers.

Delivering Sure Group’s Airtel-Vodafone migration

Part of the plan is the careful migration of Airtel-Vodafone customers onto Sure’s network. The migration needed an upgrade to Sure’s unified signalling platform from Squire Technologies. The upgrade means charging for prepaid services for Sure and former Airtel-Vodafone customers can continue without interruption. It enables an unnoticed subscriber migration with all top-ups, balance checks and prepaid services functioning as they did before

Following successful testing in Squire Technologies’ lab, the solution was promptly deployed in Sure’s network. A smooth deployment with no issues enables Sure to swiftly move on with the next phase of their plan, hassle-free.

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A brief history of Sure and Squire Technologies

Sure’s history in Guernsey goes back to 1896. Established under a different name, they introduced telephone infrastructure for up to 300 people. Now, Sure focuses on delivering the latest communications technology for thousands of customers across several regions.

Squire Technologies is proud to have worked with The Sure Group for over 10 years. Their first project together enhanced emergency service calls for residents in Guernsey. After that, Squire Technologies deployed its signalling platform into Sure’s core network, ensuring continuous billing and improved services.

Jordan Dodsworth, Product Solutions Technician at Sure, described Squire Technologies’ fast and effective delivery of the project as ‘…one more thing that will ‘just work’ when Airtel customers migrate, which is a big win for customer experience.’

‘It’s great to play a small part in facilitating the smooth migration of Airtel-Vodafone customers to The Sure Group’s core.

‘Sure’s £48 million investment in a world-class 5G network will deliver a transformative digital experience for its customers while expanding coverage.

‘Our relationship with The Sure Group, built over a decade, is central to achieving the best results for Sure’s customers. We look forward to future projects and seeing what they’ve got in store next.’

Ben Teversham, Sales Manager at Squire Technologies

References

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2k0qv43vqjo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c05g76r5vvno/

https://www.sure.com/airtel/