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Autism Guernsey to benefit from JT’s support

JT’s people have chosen to support Autism Guernsey as their main charity this year. The company’s team members have always played a central role in choosing which charity to support and decided that Autism charities across JT’s locations in Jersey, Guernsey and Australia would be the focus of their attention in 2022.

Autism Guernsey was set up in 2012 to provide assistance and support to people on the autism spectrum in Guernsey. The charity’s aim is to ensure that those with autism lead full, positive and inclusive lives with a reasonable level of independence. The charity is self funding, relying on the continued support from the islands community and companies like JT.

JT and the charity are planning to work together to increase fundraising, awareness of services and needs while also helping to recruit people into critical support roles.

Andrew Warren, Chairman of Autism Guernsey, said:“ As a charity, we are dependent on the support of organisations and individuals to fund the valuable work our staff undertake with islanders on the autistic spectrum and their families.  We’re delighted that JT chose to partner with us this year, their collaboration with other local charities has been extraordinarily successful at generating awareness. We’re all really looking forward to working together and with JT’s digital expertise and telecoms infrastructure, we are hoping to take our fundraising to a new level.’’

Tamara O Brien, Deputy Managing Director JT Guernsey, said: “I am delighted that our people have recognised the great work that autism charities do across the locations we work in, especially here in Guernsey. As a society we are learning more about autism and the needs of adults and children who are on the autism spectrum.  Helping and supporting charities has always been a huge part of the culture at JT and we’re really keen to explore new ways of supporting Autism Guernsey using our technology, expertise, and network.”

For more information about Autism Guernsey or to make a donation, please visit www.autismguernsey.org.gg

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Autism Jersey to be JT’s chosen charity in 2022

JT’s people have chosen to support Autism Jersey as their main charity this year. The company’s team members have always played a central role in choosing which charity to support and decided that Autism charities across JT’s locations in Jersey, Guernsey and Australia would be the focus of their attention in 2022.

Autism Jersey was set up in 2005 by a group of committed parents and now has Preferred Partner status in the provision of autism-related services to the Department of Health and Social Services. Its charitable services, which are not funded by the Government, are provided to autistic adults and children, their families and carers and are free at the point of delivery.

JT and the charity are planning to work together to increase fundraising, awareness of services and needs while also helping to recruit people into critical support roles.

Nick Winsor, Chair of Autism Jersey, said: “We are really excited as we begin a dedicated year of partnership with JT, a longterm supporter of the charity. Although awareness around Autism has increased in recent years, with JT’s help, we hope to move on from awareness to acceptance and greater inclusion for people on the autism spectrum in everyday life. As we continue to grow as a charity, the demands on our services are increasing. One of our main challenges, like for so many other charities, is recruiting people of the right calibre to fill roles supporting people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). With JT’s help this year, we will set the charity further along the path towards providing the best quality care, assistance and support for people on the autism spectrum.”

Daragh McDermott, Managing Director JT Channel Islands, said: “ Our relationship with Autism Jersey is well established and will grow from strength to strength as we work closely together this year. We’re immensely proud to have this long-term connection with an organisation that does such vital work in our community. Helping and supporting charities has always been part of the culture at JT and we’re really keen to explore new ways of supporting Autism Jersey using our technology, expertise, and network.”

For more information about Autism Jersey or to make a donation, please visit www.autismjersey.org

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A Very ‘Techy Christmas’ thanks to JT partnership with global Wi-Fi leaders

JT’s superior performing Wi-Fi and super-fast fibre broadband network enabled islanders to keep connected with loved ones, ensure gamers were seamlessly able to multiplay, and allowed families to binge watch their favourite shows without interruption over the festive period.

Christmas is always the busiest time of the year for internet traffic and JT’s fibre broadband network, which recently became the world’s fastest, handled an incredible 9,641 Terabytes of data in December which was a 12% increase in volume compared to the same period in 2020.

Although Wi-Fi signals can vary within people’s homes; everything from building materials like steel, granite, insulation to domestic appliances and electronics can block or potentially disrupt Wi-Fi signals, that wasn’t an issue for the many Jersey households now enjoying the exclusive JT Total Wi-Fi service. JT Total Wi-Fi is powered by an industry defining global technology developed by world leader Plume. It means Wi-Fi is evenly and seamlessly distributed throughout the home, guaranteeing superior Wi-Fi no matter what the size, or how many people or devices are using it. Christmas alone saw over 30,000 devices, of which Apple represented nearly 50% connected to JT Total Wi-Fi units across the islands.

Thomas Helbo, JT Group Chief Operations Officer, said: “The figures from this Christmas and over the New Year when people were almost permanently on their devices show how resilient our local network is. This Christmas we saw a rise in the use of tablets/phones/games consoles which our network and those homes connected to JT Total Wi-Fi products, managed with ease. Since we introduced JT Total Wi-Fi our customers have told us there’s been a massive improvement in their user experience. We started working with Plume in 2020 and have recently extended this partnership with them, given how well their next generation Wi-Fi service is working on our fibre network in the Channel Islands, further improving our customers quality of experience.”

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JT and Guernsey Cancer Support, together making a difference

At the beginning of 2021, JT selected Guernsey Cancer Support as its chosen charity for the year and together they have achieved a great deal in a short amount of time.

Over the past year, their partnership has raised over £5000 through various fundraising initiatives and more importantly helped to create a much greater awareness of the Charity’s offering in the island, which has seen an unprecedented level of demand for the charity’s services and growth in their social media following.

In addition, thanks to equipment and technology provided by JT, Guernsey Cancer Support’s members were able to stay connected to their loved ones when travelling off-island for treatment, with free data devices.

The fundraising efforts of JT employees and islanders at such events as the JT sponsored Cobo Bay Balcony Gigs has helped with much needed operational changes, supported islanders travelling for medical treatment, and funded several social gatherings for members, family and friends.

In particular the new and much-anticipated morning group sessions. These meetings are crucial for Guernsey Cancer Support to help members who are undergoing treatment or those who are dealing with loss or grief due to cancer.

Tamara O’Brien, Deputy Managing Director, JT Guernsey, said: ‘Guernsey Cancer Support is a unique and very special charity, offering support to islanders who are going through difficult times. Through working with the team, we have seen first-hand how the charity plays a huge part in the lives of so many people in our community and we were delighted to support such an amazing team of dedicated people. We have accomplished a great deal together this year, from kickstarting their fundraising to growing their profile in the island which has led to many more enquiries from potential new members.

‘I speak on behalf of everyone at JT in saying that it has been our privilege to watch this wonderful charity grow. We wish them every success as they continue to build on what we have achieved together.’

Gill Syvret-Berboda, Chair of Guernsey Cancer Support, said: ‘JT have been a pleasure to work with and have given our charity vital support during what has been a particularly difficult period. With their support, 2021 initiatives have made such a positive impact on islanders who are living with cancer. Before this, there was a small number of people who knew about our services, now the whole community recognises who we are and what we do. Thanks to JT, our profile has grown and we can now offer new services to our members that we didn’t have before.’

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JT and Macmillan Jersey – two years of making a difference

Over the past two years, JT and Macmillan Cancer Support Jersey have forged a strong relationship.

Macmillian Jersey was voted by the people of JT as their chosen charity in 2020 and 2021. It was the first time JT had extended its close working relationship with the same charity beyond one year as the JT team felt the charity deserved a second year of fundraising given the impact the pandemic had on their fundraising efforts.  With JT’s help, the local charity has;

  • Developed and launched a brand new campaign, ‘Get Together for Good’ a week of fund-raising which took the charity’s traditional annual coffee morning, to a new level, helping to raise thousands of pounds.
  • Relaunched the regular giving campaign exceeding last year’s total by £3,000.
  • Provided a much needed loan phone service to islanders traveling off-island for treatment, ensuring they can stay in touch with family and friends at no cost to them.

This year’s fundraising efforts concluded with JT’s own internal annual Christmas raffle, which included various tech prizes from the Telco, plus some prizes generously donated by the local companies that JT works with.

Whilst money is still coming in from the various events, the year’s total fundraising and donation efforts between the two is set to reach almost £40,000.

Daragh McDermott, Managing Director, JT Channel Islands, said: “We recognise how large a part Macmillan Jersey plays in the lives of many people in our community and we were delighted to continue our support through 2021, extending our relationship with the charity for a second year. I speak on behalf of everyone at JT in saying how deeply humbled we have been working with the brilliant team at Macmillan. It really has been an honour and a privilege to work with them.”

Steph Gibaut, of Macmillan Cancer Support Jersey, said: “The team at JT have been a pleasure to work with and have given our charity vital and very generous support during what has been a particularly difficult period. From the word go, JT were full of ideas about how they could support us and what they brought with them made an enormous difference. The videos that were filmed and broadcast over JT’s social media channels reached thousands of people and help us to communicate what we do to a much wider audience. We also now have a fantastic fundraising week in September thanks to JT which we will continue long into the future.”

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Increase in JT fibre connections in Guernsey

With the exciting news that every home in Guernsey is due to be connected to full fibre by 2026, the Channel Islands most experienced fibre network provider has already connected nearly 300 customers to JT Fibre.

Since 2013 when JT made the first-full fibre connection to homes in Guernsey, 271 customers are now using the JT Fibre service and getting speeds of up to 1Gb/s with a further six connected through the new Guernsey community fibre project.

Daragh McDermott, Managing Director JT Channel Islands, said: “As a world leader in fibre roll out, we are fully supportive of the ambitious plans in Guernsey to connect every property. We have been steadily connecting customers to the JT Fibre network in Guernsey since 2013 and we are now offering connections onto the Wholesale Guernsey Fibre network as they become available. The businesses who are already connected to fibre will tell you that being connected to fibre gives you a massive advantage. We are delighted to play our part in opening up the opportunities that access to super-fast speeds provide to homes and the local economy.”

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JT partnership with leading tech company helps with global supply issues

JT is doing its bit for the planet while also providing its business clients with a solution to the ongoing global supply chain problems and shortage of components thanks to their Cisco Premier Partner status.

Businesses that are facing difficulty replacing equipment such as phones, routers and security products are being offered re-manufactured digital equipment by JT through its Cisco Refresh service. Re-manufactured equipment saves resources and reduces waste by breathing new life into old or used products.

As part of JT’s commitment to addressing increasing environmental pressures in its 10-year Sustainability Strategy, the company is working with its partner Cisco, one of the world’s leading suppliers and manufacturers of digital services and equipment, to repurpose and reuse legacy kit under their circular economy pillar.

Katie Corbett, Director of Enterprise and Business Services, said: “Many islanders will know how hard it can be at times to buy items such as games consoles due to a global shortage of components, such as computer chips. It’s the same for businesses trying to upgrade or replace essential equipment. The solution we’re offering means our customers can avoid supply chain disruptions whilst also being able to buy sustainable products that have a low carbon footprint. Business customers get the same warranty protection and support that they would with brand new products, but it gives us the opportunity to service them faster, in a more  sustainable and cost effective way. The feedback so far has been fantastic and we’re excited to help and support more businesses in the same way going into 2022.”

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Jersey’s future engineering given a helping hand by JT

JT has teamed up with the UK’s leading engineering scholarship programme to encourage more young islanders to gain a head start with their careers in engineering and technology. The telecoms company is sponsoring two Jersey A Levels students, Annabel Mair, Jersey College for Girls and Eden Powell, Victoria College, who have each been awarded a prestigious Arkwright Engineering Scholarship following a rigorous selection process which began with their teachers recommending them for the scheme.

The Arkwright Engineering Scholarship programme has been running for over 30 years and has granted over 6,000 scholarships with 45% of those awarded in 2021 being to female students. The scheme has helped thousands of young people across the UK and Channel Islands to achieve their dream of a career in engineering, computing or technical design at university or through a higher-level apprenticeship.

It’s open to all 16-year-olds across the UK and Channel Islands, with each student being sponsored by an employer, institution, trust or private donor. Being the only Channel Island sponsor this year, JT is also offering work experience opportunities to the two students awarded the Scholarships as it continues to encourage and support more young people to get involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects.

Annabel Mair, said: ‘’I am so grateful for this scholarship and thrilled to be given the chance to work with JT over the next few years. Having always loved the problem solving and creative aspects of engineering, I am keen to find a career that I am passionate about with the vital support that I am being provided by Arkwright. I am eager to gather as much advice as I can from the wide range of professionals and mentors at JT and plan to make the most out of this incredible opportunity.’’

Eden Powell, said: ‘’I am fascinated by how engineering can be used to solve many diverse medical problems, resulting in incredible innovations such as 3D printed organs, advanced prosthetics and pioneering wearable devices. Having the support to develop my engineering interests from both my school and from a business such as JT, puts me in a fortunate position to make the most of the opportunities the Arkwright Scholarship presents.’’

Nicola Reeves, JT Group HR Director, said: “We are thrilled to be able to offer the first JT Arkwright Engineering Scholarships and hope that Annabel and Eden will inspire other young people to look at the breadth of exciting roles available. The process they went through, once they had been put forward by their teachers, included an exam and interview which really helps to prepare them for what it will be like when they apply for roles in the future. It’s our hope that by working with local students from an early age, it will demonstrate the many opportunities for home grown local talent at JT, building strong relationships with schools and students across the islands as we support our future innovators in engineering as they look to engineer a better world.”

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The jolliest virtual experience as Santa connects with Channel Island children

Santa is again inviting families to safely enjoy a much loved Christmas tradition by connecting virtually with children across the Channel Islands, using a little help from the local JT Elves.

Last year, due to restrictions on gatherings, Santa was sadly unable to make his usual visit to the JT shops and instead, with the help of his most technically able assistant, Elfie, he chatted to children just after breakfast on Sunday mornings in the run up to Christmas. The North Pole live streams were so popular that Santa and Elfie didn’t need any persuading from Mrs Claus to set aside time this year to meet the islands children online again, direct from Santa’s Grotto in the North Pole.  Elfie is so excited and Santa has been practising by having regular online meetings with the JT Elves, so there’s not much he’s not aware of.

Tamara O’Brien, Group Head of Marketing, Brand and Customer Experience, said: “What could be more magical than seeing and talking to Santa, it’s one of the most memorable experiences children can have at Christmas. So when Elfie got in touch with us to help enhance Santa’s home Wi-Fi  we jumped at the chance.  Thanks to JT’s Total Wi-fi we’ve made sure local children didn’t miss out on seeing him. Like everyone else, Santa has had to adapt, but he’s been around for a long time and has seen many changes.  My daughter and I will definitely be tuned in again as we love to hear him reading out everyone’s messages”.

Parents and children will be able to type their questions and present requests live on the Facebook stream and, with the help of Elfie, Santa will answer questions, play some games and may even share some secrets about the Reindeers.

There is no need to book. Simply register your interest via Facebook Live events on the JTsocial page. Reminders and updates will be sent to everyone who registers.

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JT takes its place in the fight against global fraud

JT’s innovative Fraud Protection Services combines data and technology in the fight against fraud and financial crime, saving businesses and their customers millions as fraudsters step up their attempts to breach accounts.

Although stricter online security measures are making it harder for criminals,  the compromise of personal and financial data remains a significant problem for many businesses as they seek to protect their customers from scams.

There has been a worldwide increase in SIM card fraud – an account take over, where control is transferred from a genuine SIM card to one controlled by criminals. To combat this JT International developed a detection service, now widely used by international banks and leading businesses in the UK and around the world,  giving them the ability to automatically check if the identity of the person attempting to make a transaction is genuine.

One bank that’s using JT’s Fraud Protection Service (FPS) says the advanced technology is preventing an estimated loss of $100,000 every time a SIM swap fraud is detected.

By working with mobile network operators around the world, JT’s Fraud Protection Services is preventing criminal gangs from targeting call centres in their attempts to steal customers’ credentials to buy goods, access bank accounts or move and transfer money.

Clare Messenger, Head of Fraud Protection Services at JT, said: “Fraud is on the rise and with people more reliant on digital and mobile phone services, criminal organisations have been quick to exploit certain weaknesses. One such weakness identified as a prime area where account takeovers can occur is within call centres, a facility that is seen in many industries. At JT we have built strong relationships with network operators globally which means we can use our unique Fraud Protection Service to check customer credentials in milli-seconds, giving our customers peace of mind that their customers are swiftly protected without any drop in customer experience – a seamless, yet reassuring service.”

Paul Taylor, Managing Director, JT International said: “JT is well known for creating innovative products and services, and for some years now we have been building up our Fraud Protection Services, becoming the ‘go to’ partner for many leading finance houses and other service providers around the world. Fraud crosses all sectors, using real-time checks can speed up the time it takes to onboard customers, identifying possible problems while fast-tracking those that have passed the checks.  Our services can also be used throughout the lifecycle of a customer, continuing to provide ongoing insight that will help combat fraud.’’