Gibtelecom

News Summary:

On April 20, 2026, the Government of Gibraltar temporarily paused the anti-piracy section of the Communications Act, less than a year after its approval, ahead of an anticipated Supreme Court ruling in a case involving Gibtelecom and GibFibre. Previously, on December 19, 2025, a judge concluded hearing the telecommunications dispute, with Gibtelecom putting forward its closing arguments. Gibtelecom is suing GibFibre, GibSat, and their directors Albert and Genevieve Sheriff for damages dating back to 2015, arguing that its rivals gained customers by offering unlicensed TV channels. On December 18, 2025, closing submissions began, with lawyers for GibFibre and GibSat asserting that they attracted customers from Gibtelecom by providing a superior and more affordable product. The legal battle opened at the Supreme Court on December 4, 2025, in a case that could reshape Gibraltar’s TV and broadband market, with hearings running until December 19. This follows an amendment to the Communications Act that took effect on October 17, 2025, granting Government-owned Gibtelecom exclusive rights to operate a mobile network in Gibraltar, an amendment that drew criticism from Gibfibre, which had been developing its own network and accused the Government of hindering competition in the mobile market.