Balcony Gigs 2020
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Balcony gigs announce line-up for this year’s summer festival of free music

Cobo Bay Hotel’s Balcony Gigs are synonymous with summertime in Guernsey. The popular series of family-friendly, live outdoor music events sponsored by JT is back, with tributes to music of the past and present that will bring our shores to life.  Every year, legendary tribute acts supported by talented local bands have created memorable long weekends of free entertainment, becoming a firm favourite in the Guernsey Holiday calendar.

This year’s series kicks off on Sunday 3 May with a tribute to the kings of English Ska music, Madness. Throughout the summer six events are planned, with the last act taking to the balcony on Sunday 30 August. As in previous years, the events will also raise money for the Guernsey Cheshire Homes and Guernsey Cancer Support, JT’s chosen charity for 2020.

JT’s Deputy Managing Director in Guernsey, Tamara O’Brien, said: “It just wouldn’t be summer without Guernsey’s famous balcony gigs.  For almost a decade we have partnered with Cobo Bay Hotel, bringing islanders and visitors together to enjoy a whole summer of free music from May to August. This year we have another great line up of tribute acts and my family and friends have already ‘saved the dates’.  Many of us may be planning to spend the Summer on our beautiful island this year and these events give us all something to look forward to.’

Our JT team will be at the events helping liven up the music with our famous JT biodegradable / re-usable freebies.  We will also be livestreaming from the bay at every event, interacting with the crowd and the bands across all our social channels.

David Nussbaumer, organiser of Cobo Bay Hotel’s Balcony Gigs, said: “Our long-term partnership with JT means we can secure some of the best tribute acts on the scene. Together we have been providing memorable community events that don’t involve travel or a ticket cost and we promise 2020 will be another great summer of music, sun and fun for all the family.”

We know how lucky we are to enjoy events like these in such beautiful surroundings and would ask that everyone attending remembers to play their part to help ensure that Cobo Bay remains litter free by collecting and taking home their rubbish.



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JT supports Digital Ace in helping families growing up in a Connected World

JT’s retail team will be manning an exhibition stand at this year’s Digital ACE event organised by Digital Greenhouse on Saturday 8th February between midday and 5 pm at Beau Sejour.

This popular annual event takes place ahead of National Safer Internet Day, attracting high numbers of visitors keen to know more about the latest technology and e-safety advice, numbers are expected to exceed last year’s attendance of 3,000 throughout the day. The exhibition features many of Guernsey’s leading tech and digital organisations under one roof, providing both adults and children with a fun interactive day out to learn about e-safety in today’s digital world.

The JT team have lots of information to share about how best to use electronic devices and the Internet, which will empower families to learn, explore and manage their online lives in a positive and safe way.

Visitors to the JT stand will be able to try out the latest gaming console from Nintendo, which is a real example of how modern technology can help with creativity and development. We also have a competition to win a Nintendo Switch and Labo VR Kit, which is a series of DIY kits for building, from cardboard, your very own Toy-Con creations. This is about encouraging children to build and learn in both a virtual and a real environment, encouraging both ‘real world’ manual dexterity as well as virtual gaming skill.

Tamara O’Brien, Deputy Managing Director JT (Guernsey) commented:

“As a parent of a young daughter myself I’m also focussed on finding the right balance between our connected lives and our real lives.  Increasingly our schools encourage homework to be completed online and of course technology is firmly embedded into our education and school systems.  So, this show is a great way to discover the latest technology, understand how to maintain that balance and hear the latest thinking on helping our children stay safe online.”

For anyone who can’t join us at Digital ACE, JT’s High Street shop team are always happy to see people instore and help with useful information and friendly advice on the latest range of technology and help customers with enabling Internet routers to block certain sites, or seeing first-hand the devices we have available to help them stay in control online

All JT’s advice and guidance is available online at: https://www.jtglobal.com/global/e-safety/



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JT selected as Prime Partner to support Guernsey’s digital future

JT has been selected by Agilisys to help deliver an ambitious 10-year programme to transform Guernsey’s digital services and signed a formal partnership agreement on this at the end of November.

In 2019, after a rigorous 3-year tender process, Agilisys entered into contract with the States of Guernsey to modernise their IT systems and transform and digitise public services. This will mean better access to Services for Islanders and greater operational efficiency for the States of Guernsey as part of the ongoing programme of Public Service Reform launched by Chief Executive, Paul Whitfield, in 2015.

Now, JT has been chosen as the Prime Partner for Agilisys to support that programme, building on the investment which has already been made to ensure key public buildings in Guernsey such as the Airport, schools, Raymond Falla House and Police HQ all have access to 1Gb fibre speeds.

Richard Hanrahan, CEO Agilisys Guernsey added: “We chose JT as our Prime Partner because of their commitment to delivering the very best technology solutions, which really makes a difference for their customers. That dedication to excellence in delivery, combined with their local knowledge and more than a decade of operating in Guernsey as the island’s only locally owned telecoms operator, is exactly what this transformative project needs.  They have also worked with the States of Guernsey on key projects for over 8 years.”

Colin Vaudin, Strategic Lead for Future Digital Technology and Communications said: “Smart Guernsey is the key enabler for Public Service Reform. In addition, it stands to transform Guernsey’s technology sector, creating opportunities for the Island’s businesses, entrepreneurs and students. We are very much looking forward to working in partnership with Agilisys and partners such as JT to achieve our ambitious goals.”

 Paul Taylor, Managing Director JT Guernsey commented: “We are delighted to have been chosen by Agilisys to partner with them on this ambitious and transformative project, which will play such a key part in the successful future of our island, and maintain our reputation as a secure and innovative place to do business.  This is a really important opportunity for Guernsey, and all the JT team are fully committed to playing our part in delivering for the Island.”



JT Internship
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Unexpected bursary boost for JT digital intern

After an impressive six-week internship, Elizabeth College student, Kieran Aslett, has been awarded a bursary by his JT mentors. This helping hand towards his study costs is in recognition of his genuine interest in digital technology and the bright future that lies ahead of him.

Kieran joined JT having applied successfully for the Digital Greenhouse Discover Digital Summer Internship which JT has supported for the past three years. He spent six weeks working with a number of the company’s departments.

Andy Holmes, JT’s Talent Program Manager said: “As a business we believe it is really important for us to play a part in nurturing young talent. Committed and interested young people like Kieran represent the future of digital technology and we are privileged to have had the opportunity to share our knowledge with him and are really pleased that we can contribute to resources which will help him take those first steps in his career.”

JT offers several bursaries each year to young people in the Channel Islands in areas of study including science, technology, engineering, maths and some business disciplines and over the last five years has financially supported 32 young people across Guernsey and Jersey.  During the summer months of 2019, 15 bursary students have benefitted from fully paid work within various departments across the company and, to date, four students have returned to work with JT on a permanent basis. 40% of our local students supported by our JT’s bursaries over the past 5 years have returned to the islands to live and work in the technology sector.

Kieran said that the internship gave him a good insight into the collaborative working between departments. “It was surprising to me how much interaction there was between departments like sales and engineering. The reality is that they share information all the time to come to a solution together, looking at design and analysing the information before tackling an issue.”

Kieran, who has plans to study cyber security in higher education, said that he had an interest in networking and so particularly enjoyed working with CISCO engineering while at JT but had found the mentoring in all the teams especially beneficial.

“It was never just about me sitting and watching what was going on, that’s not the JT way. The mentoring was fantastic, and I was given the chance to do real work, take part and ask questions. It was an exciting opportunity and worked very naturally. The bursary announcement came as a complete surprise on my second to last day – I hadn’t expected that at all but it’s great news, it’s so nice to know that the team at JT value my contribution” said Kieran.

Paul Taylor, Managing Director, JT Guernsey said: “Kieran worked really well with each team he joined during his internship, it was a pleasure to introduce him to our industry. We hope that the JT Bursary will ensure that he is able to make the most out of what a university degree has to offer him and, one day, bring those skills back to Guernsey and JT.”

The Discover Digital Summer Internship is open to all post-16 students, in full-time education, who have a passion for digital and a desire to work on digital projects with some of the Guernsey’s leading companies.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

The JT Bursary scheme provides local students a £2000 financial grant towards the cost of university fees and expenses as well as offering a challenging six weeks of fully paid work experience during holiday periods.

University subjects considered for a JT bursary are generally science, technology, engineering and maths.

Applications can be made online from January each year through the JT website or contact hrinbox@jtglobal.com for further information.



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Double shortlisting in telecoms ‘Oscars’ for Jersey’s full-fibre network

Jersey’s full-fibre network has earned the Island a place on the shortlist of the 21st annual World Communication Awards.

The successful completion of JT’s Gigabit Jersey project has been shortlisted in both the ‘Best Network Transformation Initiative’ and the ‘Broadband Pioneer’ categories of the distinguished awards, which will be presented at a ceremony in London at the end of October. The shortlisting sees JT joins some of the biggest names in the telecoms industry across the world – including BT, TalkTalk and O2. This in itself is a significant tribute to the talented and diverse team at JT that have worked to deliver this project from the beginning.

The shortlisting recognises the commitment made by JT’s teams to the island to deliver a reliable, high speed full-fibre network which would benefit the entire community. It has already paved the way for new business start-ups, contributed to the growth of Jersey’s digital sector and supported expansion of the finance industry, as well as opened the door to new ways of learning in our schools and enabled householders to embrace smart technology in their homes.

Graeme Millar, JT’s CEO, said: “A year on from the completion of this landmark project we can begin to assess the longer-term benefit that full-fibre is having for Jersey. Many of the advantages of a full-fibre network are now a reality. The network has had a truly transformative effect on Jersey’s position as a world leader in connectivity and innovation.

“The success of Jersey’s full-fibre network is down to the hard work and dedication of all those who worked on the project over the years. Together, we have created a legacy for Jersey and contributed to the current and future success of our Island economy and generations to come, which we’re all very proud of.”

Amy Bryant, Deputy CEO, Jersey Finance said: “Jersey’s ability to harness technological innovations lies not just in its community of skilled professionals but also in its world class infrastructure and digital capability. Advances in the internet of things (IoT), blockchain, fintech, cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence depend on a fast and reliable connection and JT’s full-fibre network has provided that backbone to take them forward.”

Over 550 telecom companies, representing over 35 countries, are taking part in World Communications Awards 2019 and the winners of the 25 award categories will be announced at a ceremony in the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, London, on 30 October 2019.



National Coding Week Guernsey
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Coding across the generations

Take a robotic ball, an adult, a child and a smartphone and you have the perfect recipe for an exciting coding workshop with a difference during the 2019 National Coding Week, sponsored by JT.

This year, JT is providing a FREE coding workshop for budding techno families, called ‘JT Generations Code Together’ at the Digital Greenhouse. This workshop is designed to bring adults and children together for a few hours to share their different skills and, in the process, learn how to programme an app-enabled robotic ball called a Sphero BOLT.

The interactive session has been specially planned with step-by-step guides for pairs of one child (aged 8 – 13 years) and one adult (no age limit) each to take part in. During the free two-hour session, which will be led by Jersey Coders expert Mentor Colin King, the pairs will complete a series of challenges which may include navigation, IR (infrared) communication and direct interaction between the Spheros.

Paul Taylor, Managing Director, JT (Guernsey) said: “National Coding Week always presents a great opportunity to inspire and inform through raising awareness of coding. This year we wanted to take this ideal opportunity to get generations of families to partner and share skills with each other, in a fun digital learning environment. Many adults have not grown up with technology the way their children and grand-children have, so part of our intention is to unravel some of the mysteries of coding in a friendly and jargon-free environment. At JT we’re keen to help more people to use and understand digital technology, as we have one of the best digital infrastructures in the world – which in turn benefits the whole community and encourages the digital leaders of our future.”

National Coding Week founder, Richard Rolfe, said: “It has always been our aim to encourage schools and businesses to deliver events which showcase innovation and give people an insight into how digital technology is influencing their lives and how they can use it. The JT Generations Code Together sessions are a fun way to demonstrate the latest digital capability using a fantastic learning tool which will appeal to all age groups. We would also like to take the opportunity to thank JT for their constant efforts in bringing our digital community together, this is the 5th year JT have sponsored the annual event, supporting us since we began in 2014”.

Lucy Kirby of Digital Greenhouse said “building coding skills is a vital asset for our island’s future generation and building understanding amongst the current generations of adults is equally important.  It’s great to see JT arranging events like this alongside National Coding week.”

The session take place from 6 pm to 8 pm on Monday 16 September at Digital Greenhouse. Places on the JT Generations Code Together session can be applied for online at www.jtglobal.com/ncw and are limited so we encourage islanders to register their interest fast.

More information about getting involved can be found on the National Coding Week website.



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JT Rewards Guernsey, the guilt free way to treat yourself to an island staycation

With exclusive deals, money off discounts and offers on local restaurants, hotels and overnight stays NEW JT Rewards is on its way, offering Islanders a fantastic variety of special deals and great savings from a range of well-known local businesses.

Islanders are being invited to sign up to JT Rewards ahead of its official launch on Friday 6 September to be able to receive weekly deals, offering massive savings of up to 70% off hotels and restaurants. The weekly deals will be listed on the JT Rewards Facebook and Instagram pages, where people can sign up for a weekly email notification bringing all the latest deals direct to them. Plus, for JT customers there will also be extra, exclusive discounts.

To celebrate the launch, every new subscriber to JT Rewards, signing up before Thursday 5 September will have a chance to win an amazing £3,000 TUI travel voucher giving a lucky winner the family holiday of a lifetime.

JT’s Dominic Vye, Head of Digital Services said: “JT Rewards is something that our customers have consistently said they want, and Guernsey businesses have been really keen to get on board. Our Rewards have been hugely successful in Jersey for many years and we’re delighted that everyone in Guernsey will now have the opportunity to access exclusive deals for local restaurants and hotels.

“JT Rewards is a really easy way for local companies to reach a wider audience. We have an amazing team of people working hard to secure the biggest exclusive offers. Among the businesses who have partnered with JT Rewards are Handpicked Hotels – a long-standing Jersey rewards partner – who will be offering some great deals at St Pierre Park Hotel.”

Emma Knights, Deputy General Manager, St Pierre Park Hotel said: “We are looking forward to promoting the many ways in which islanders can enjoy the St Pierre Park as much as our visitors do, whether that is a treatment at our spa, a romantic meal or an overnight staycation. JT Rewards has already proved to be a very successful and popular way for us to promote deals and reach out to new customers.”

The aim of JT Rewards is to support local businesses by promoting their products or services to islanders and this year there will be a bumper campaign of offers for the Christmas season for those who sign up.

People can sign up online at https://www.jtrewards.com/guernsey/  and find more information on our JT Rewards Facebook page.



Customer Experience
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Customer Experience ambassador in the spotlight for international award

The gatekeeper of a programme to put JT’s customers at the heart of every conversation has been shortlisted for her leadership at the International Customer Service Awards.

Tamara O Brien, JT’s Group Head of Customer Experience, has been named as one of the six finalists in the Customer Experience Leader category of the awards, which will be announced at a ceremony in Amsterdam on 21 November 2019.

Tamara led a campaign across all of JT’s offices to reshape the customer experience for JT customers and support that experience with pioneering digital technology like the exclusive JT App. This instigated a company-wide training initiative, based around JT’s own customer feedback and insight – so that every one of JT’s people understood the value of real customer loyalty and satisfaction and became ambassadors for a brand they believed in.

“Over the last few years, JT has been on a journey to transform itself from a local telecoms provider to a world class communications brand.  Our purpose is to connect our islands and our customers to their future, and it is crucial for us to bring our people and our customers with us.

On a personal level, I am honoured to have been named as a finalist however it’s the hard work and commitment of all our teams, across the company, that has got us here. We empowered our people to believe in themselves and show them the vital role each one plays in supporting our customers. Our goal was to shift our culture in every area of the business so that the first question on everyone’s mind, no matter what their job, was and remains, ‘how will our customers feel about this’. On a simple level my role is to represent the voice of our customers across everything we do; be it a new live chat app to make life easier for customers to get help, a new roaming service designed to give customers more freedom when travelling, or creation of our customer panel ‘JT Voice’ giving our own customers input to how we provide our services and products.”

Tamara was instrumental in the development and delivery to JT’s 600+ employees of the company’s first customer experience strategy. She built and inspired a dedicated, specially-trained Central Customer Experience team which understands both customer behaviour and the importance community engagement plays in JT’s culture. Customer experience training is now an essential part of every employee’s induction, probation and remuneration and is supported at all levels of the business.

Now in its second year, the International Customer Experience Awards recognise inspiring organisations which are delivering an outstanding customer experience across the world.



Cobo Bay Gig 2019
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For Those About To Rock…

It’s hard to believe, but we are almost at the end of this year’s run of Cobo Bay Balcony Gigs – and what a fantastic season of music and memories it has been. The final JT-sponsored gig will be on Sunday 25 August, headlined by a tribute to legendary rockers AC/DC, who are guaranteed to get the party started and bring the family-friendly gigs to a close in style. They will be supported popular French band ‘Sons of the Desert’.

Over the course of summer, the popular free gigs have been attended by many hundreds of islanders and tourists alike who have been treated to both great weather and great acts, including tributes to Ed Sheeran and the ever-popular Fleetwood Mac. Many talented and popular Guernsey bands have also joined the line-up, impressing the balcony gig crowds since May.

The six gigs have, as in previous years, raised money for two very worthy causes the Guernsey Cheshire Homes and JT’s chosen charity for 2019, the GSPCA. All have been supported by the friendly JT team who have been on hand with plenty of smiles, exclusive offers, bio-degradable and re-useable freebies at every event.

Tamara O’Brien, JT’s Deputy Managing Director in Guernsey, said the feedback from the events had been excellent. “What a great summer it has been, this year’s line-up has been stronger than ever, and the great British weather didn’t let us down. This is the eighth year we have supported the Cobo Bay Summer Balcony gigs and it’s been a pleasure to help bring such a selection of quality live acts to Guernsey and showcase some of the best talent this Island has to offer. As always, given the beautiful location that these events take place in, we would ask islanders attending to collect and take home their rubbish and leave Cobo Bay litter free.”

“Our team will be on hand to help make sure this final gig really rocks and will be handing out exclusive news about our new ‘JT Rewards Guernsey’ which due to popular demand will launch in September, offering fantastic daily deals and savings for islanders with many local businesses from meals out, overnight stays, household equipment, leading brands and much, much more already signed up.

David Nussbaumer, organiser of the Cobo Bay Balcony Gigs said: “Once again it has been a successful summer of music at Cobo Bay thanks to the ongoing partnership and support of JT which has helped us secure quality acts for these really popular events. We look forward to seeing as many people as possible at the last gig of the summer as we say goodbye to the 2019 Balcony Gig series.”

To sign up for JT Rewards visit https://www.jtrewards.com/guernsey/ and find more information on our JT Rewards Facebook page.



About JT
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5G – Jersey and Guernsey test sites

The following statement has been released on behalf of JT:

“JT announced today that it has launched a 5G test site in Jersey and a 5G test site in Guernsey, following receipt of a licence to do so from CICRA in March 2019 and in line with a commitment announced in November 2018. The test will provide important technical and planning information to support JT’s forthcoming applications for a licence to extend its leading 2G/3G/4G networks towards 5G, once the process for doing so is announced by CICRA.”

More information about the 5G network for JT customers >