NEWTEL, Sure and Airtel-Vodafone have combined to accuse Jersey Telecom of anti-competitive behaviour and a potential breach of the competition law.

The companies are seeking arbitration over proposed wholesale price increases – the prices operators pay each other when calls are made to and from their network – of up to 780% in operator services.

But JT has hit back and fiercely denied the accusations. It says some complaints made by the three operators are about services they have never used. JT said that of the ten services subject to a price increase, only seven have been used by other operators.

And the States-owned telecoms business said that the service highlighted as having a 780% price increase had never been used by any other operator. Airtel-Vodafone, Sure and Newtel have complained to the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority about a variety of JT price increases, including fixed line charges rising 110%. But it would appear the regulator can do nothing and the issue has highlighted a gap in its powers.

• Picture: Daragh McDermott: ‘JT followed all regulatory rules when making the price changes’