Jersey Telecom (JT) has partnered with network vendor Ericsson to launch 5G.

The first 5G sites went live in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, over the weekend.

It comes after months of trials between JT and Ericsson, in which the carrier was able to successfully migrate the old network on sites within Area One in St Ouen and transition to the newly built network.

Two years ago, the two companies signed an £80 million ($108m) investment plan for the rollout of 5G across the Channel Islands.

JT's contract with Ericsson includes the mobile network modernization and upgrades to its CORE, Radio Access Network (RAN), and managed services networks.

According to Ericsson, the rollout of the network will be carried out over several months, in a phased approach.

By the end of the year, 5G Standalone (5G SA) will be available once all phases of the rollout are completed.

5G SA is not reliant on older mobile generations and solely uses a 5G core network. To date, Ericsson has helped connect 183 5G networks in 77 countries. So far, more than 60 operators globally have launched 5G SA.

"Networks are never complete; the work never stops because technology is always improving, so our focus will always be on enabling the technology of tomorrow, for our customers today," said Daragh McDermott, CEO, JT Group.

"We are constantly looking ahead while addressing current needs, providing the best possible connectivity, and working with partner organizations and businesses to help them get the most out of the network. It's about taking the right risks and making prudent investments so everyone can thrive and innovate, advancing the digital economy across the Channel Islands."

Rival telco Sure previously said in September that it aims to launch 5G "within 18 months."