ALC Digital Law has advised the The Channel Islands Co-operative Society (Coop) on the negotiation of an MVNO partnership with Sure Mobile, enabling the Coop to launch its own retail mobile service in the Channel Islands.

The Coop’s launch is the first MVNO in the Channel Islands and will see the Coop differentiate itself from existing mobile operators by leveraging its strong brand, diverse consumer product range and extensive distribution network.

The MVNO deal was negotiated in context of Sure’s proposed acquisition of Airtel Vodafone.

The ALC team was led by founder Angus Finnegan, with James Mullock advising on privacy issues. They worked closely with Mark Crean from the Coop, as well as James Gray from Graystone Strategy consultancy.

Sure’s legal team was led by Michelle Ozanne (Head of Legal), with Stephen Smith (Competition Partner) at Bristows advising on regulatory issues as part of their work on the merger transaction.

The Coop’s Mark Crean commented:

“It’s been a pleasure working with Angus, James and the entire team at Sure to negotiate and agree this MVNO deal. Our partnership with Sure will further strengthen the Coop’s member proposition by bringing an alternative offer and the Coop’s retail expertise to the mobile market in Jersey and Guernsey. We are excited to continue the journey with the team to bring this product to market in 2025.”