Draft Telecommunications Law (Jersey) Amendment Regulations 202- (P.62/2025): comments
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STATES OF JERSEY
DRAFT TELECOMMUNICATIONS LAW (JERSEY) AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 202- (P.62/2025): COMMENTS
Presented to the States on 23rd September 2025
by the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel
STATES GREFFE
2025 P.62 Com.
COMMENTS
The Draft Telecommunications Law (Jersey) Amendment Regulations 202- [P.62/2025] (hereafter referred to as the "draft Regulations") was lodged on 14th August 2025 by the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development (the Minister) and is scheduled for debate on 30th September 2025. The Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel (hereafter referred to as "the Panel") has formed these comments to aid in the Assembly's considerations.
The Panel received a briefing from government officers on the proposed draft Regulations on 19th August 2025. Following the briefing, the Panel noted several questions it wished to gain clarity on with regards to the Global Titles component of the draft Regulations. Subsequently, the Panel had a follow-up briefing from government officers specifically on this component on 10th September 2025.
The Draft Amendment Regulations
The draft Regulations if adopted will amend the Telecommunications (Jersey) Law 2002 to give functions to OFCOM (the UK communications regulator) to allocate telephone numbers in Jersey. The Panel understands that OFCOM has for the last 20 years been allocating numbers in Jersey (01534 for fixed numbers and +44 for mobile numbers) as Jersey is considered part of the UK National Telephone Numbering Plan.
The Panel notes that at the end of 2024 OFCOM discovered that it lacked the necessary legal authority to continue its long-standing role of allocating telephone numbers in Jersey (and other Crown Dependencies). This prompted the need for OFCOM to be provided with the necessary legal framework to allow it to continue allocating telephone numbers and the subsequent drafting of these draft Regulations. The Panel understands that there are serious implications arising from the absence of the necessary legal framework including most notably; OFCOM being unable to issue new telephone numbers in Jersey, limits on the regulator's authority to safeguard telecoms security and impacts on any upcoming telecommunication infrastructure projects with the example of the Co-op Mobile service.
The Panel notes that this telephone numbering issue impacts all of the Crown Dependencies and the Minister noted within the accompanying report that the Government of Guernsey and the Isle of Man Government had participated in the engagement process. The Panel understands that Guernsey and Isle of Man were progressing their own solutions.
The draft Regulations, if adopted will also give functions to the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA), so that the JCRA has equivalent powers to those that OFCOM has in the UK. These powers will permit the JCRA to enforce security requirements and telephone numbering conditions on individuals that are not telecommunications providers in Jersey, which is a power it currently does not hold.
The Panel understands that whilst OFCOM will be responsible for allocating numbers, the JCRA will remain the local regulatory authority, holding the core regulatory responsibilities and that recourse could be sought through the JCRA. OFCOM remains responsible for the allocation and withdrawal of telephone numbers but the JCRA will hold responsibility for regulating telephone numbers in Jersey and, where necessary, can make recommendations for OFCOM to action.
Furthermore, the powers provided to the JCRA aim to address security risks arising from the leasing of telephone numbers as Global Titles by third parties. Global Titles are defined within the accompanying report of the draft Regulations as being "numbers that are used as unique network addresses and are used to route signaling messages within and between telecommunications networks".[1] The Panel understands that the dangers arising from Global Titles leasing include location tracking, fraud, phishing and potential unauthorised data access but Global Titles leasing has been banned by OFCOM in the UK in April 2025.[2]
Panel concerns
The Panel requested a follow-up briefing from government officials on 10th September after identifying the issue of Global Titles as requiring further consideration and clarification, given the security risks they pose for Jersey.
During the briefing, the Panel heard that since OFCOM's ban on the leasing of Global Titles to third parties, and with the draft Regulations enabling the JCRA to impose similar conditions on third parties in Jersey, the risks are being addressed.
On this basis, the Panel is satisfied that the risks associated with Global Title leasing are being effectively mitigated both through OFCOM's prohibition and the new powers that the draft Regulations, if adopted, would provide to the JCRA.
Conclusion
The Panel understands and is supportive of the need for the draft Regulations to provide OFCOM with the legal framework to continue issuing and allocating telephone numbers in Jersey as a continuum of its long-standing practice. Furthermore, the Panel recognises the risks to both service delivery and security should this legal framework not be implemented. The Panel does consider it important to note its concern that the legal anomaly that the draft Regulations aims to address went undetected and was only brought to the Minister's attention by OFCOM. This is a matter the Minister may wish to address during the debate, and this is an area which the panel can question the Minister on further in future public hearings, if necessary.
The Panel is supportive and content that the JCRA is a local regulator and will retain core regulatory responsibilities. The Panel is also satisfied that that recourse in terms of the regulation, management and potential withdrawal of telephone numbers in Jersey will be administered by a local regulatory authority.