Macmillan Jersey volunteer
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JT provides Macmillan Jersey with lifeline digital equipment to continue supporting vulnerable islanders

Research from Macmillan Cancer Support in the UK shows an estimate of around 2,000 people a week are going undiagnosed and nearly half of cancer patients have had their treatment changed, cancelled or delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Macmillan Jersey wants to remind islanders that health services are still open for other concerns and conditions too. With JT’s help, the local charity has made various operational changes and by using the powers of technology has continued helping islanders and their families at home and away throughout.

To be able to support Jersey patients and their families from a safe distance, JT has helped Macmillan Jersey by providing the charity with Cloud PBX technology, a phone system accessed through the internet, which enables the Macmillan Team to work remotely and continue emotional support and wellbeing services for patients and their families.

To make sure families stay connected to their loved ones while they undergo treatment and care away from home, JT will be loaning a number of basic mobile phone which will have incoming and outgoing calls and texts included free of charge. JT will also be loaning some portable mobile Wi-Fi devices which connect to the patient’s loan mobile phone to enable the use of free Wi-Fi.

Lauren Perchard-Rees, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Support Jersey, said: “We are so thankful to JT for providing this lifeline equipment for our teams and patients to remain connected. It will make a tangible difference to their lives and improve the overall wellbeing of patients separated from loved ones due to self-isolating or ongoing treatment. Cancer affects the lives of so many of us, in so many challenging ways and we’re grateful at Macmillan Jersey that we can continue to operate. Charities have been hit hard due to Covid-19 and we need the support of our local community to enable us to continue helping islanders and their families living with and beyond cancer.”

Tamara O Brien, Group Head of Customer Experience for JT, said: “Part of our purpose at JT is keeping our customers connected and doing the very best we can for our people and our communities. We are all proud to support Macmillan Jersey, helping them to maintain their services in supporting islanders living with cancer and keeping patients in touch with their families. We know now more than ever how vital digital technology is, which, for many has been the only way of communicating with family and friends during lockdown. During such challenging times, it’s important we help those most vulnerable and raise awareness of the excellent work Macmillan Jersey does in caring for our loved ones within our community.”

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JT Appoints New Chief Financial Officer

With more than 25 years’ experience working in senior finance roles, Hélène Narcy has been appointed as JT’s Chief Financial Officer, taking a position on the Group Board and the Executive Committee.

Hélène, who started her career in telecommunications, before working for some of the world’s leading financial institutions, takes over from John Kent who is retiring, after serving in the role since 2012.

She joined JT in July 2019 after ten years working for UBS in Jersey and the US, returning to the island after two years in New York. Hélène has also lived and/or worked in France, China and the UAE, in senior management roles and leading financial transformation projects.

Hélène graduated from the prestigious Grande Ecole ESCP, and holds the French accounting Diploma.

She commented: “Leading the finances of a company with JT’s strong global reputation is a challenge I am really looking forward to, and I have been really impressed with the quality and dedication of the whole team at JT.

“Telecommunications is a fast-moving, dynamic sector and providing innovative products and services is so important to all islanders. It is great to be working in this industry again, and to be able to add value to JT’s operations in the Channel Islands, and across the world.”

Graeme Millar, JT’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “I am delighted to welcome Hélène to JT. Her knowledge, skills and experience will really help us to take the business forward, applying the most exacting international financial standards.

“I would also like to thank John Kent, whose vast experience and strategic thinking has played a significant part in the success of the JT story for nearly a decade.

“JT’s purpose is to enable our customers’ connected lives, and Hélène will help us to achieve that throughout challenging times for individuals and businesses, and to play our part in facilitating the Channel Islands’ recovery.”

For more information please click here.

JT Progress Report 2020
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JT publishes 2019/20 Progress Report

St. Helier, Jersey: the JT Group has released its annual update report detailing progress over the last 12 months, as it continues to support its local communities through the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the last eight weeks JT has doubled the minimum broadband speeds (from 500 Mb/s to 1Gb/s) for all fibre customers at no cost, to help them work, and stay connected at home, as well as extending that network to more of those islanders who previously only relied on a landline.

Overall, the Report details a stable financial performance over the last 12 months, with revenue, profits and dividends to JT’s owner, the Government of Jersey, remaining broadly on a par with previous years.

The 2019/20 Progress Report mainly focusses on the last full calendar year before the pandemic changed the way many people across the world are living their lives, and JT has a formal requirement to publish it at this time every year. The Group’s CEO & Chairman, Graeme Millar & Phil Male, have also written a special introduction to the document which sets out how JT has responded to this time of national emergency.

JT Chairman, Phil Male, commented: “We know that our customers and stakeholders have more on their minds at the moment than JT’s performance, however we hope they will find this review of the last twelve months interesting and informative.

“Clearly it mainly focusses on the year before the Covid-19 pandemic, which was another strong one for the Group, as we continued to invest heavily in Channel Island networks. This investment has stood islanders in good stead now so many of us are working from home, and using technology to interact with family, friends and colleagues.

“2019 was also a year when we upped our investment in emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, Cyber security and 5G. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the team at JT for their continued hard work and commitment, not least in recent weeks when despite the worrying global health situation, they have worked tirelessly to ensure islanders can stay connected.”

CEO Graeme Millar added: “I’m proud of the way JT has played its part in recent weeks to help its communities deal with the disruption posed by Covid-19. It has been a tough, worrying and uncertain time for many of our customers which is likely to continue for a while yet.

“Our teams and networks have responded very well indeed to the challenge. We have also done what we can to financially support our customers who may be finding it tough, such as by suspending all charges for late payments, or going over broadband usage limits, offering better terms to suppliers and providing local landline calls for free. Throughout this period JT will be calmly focussed on its core role: to make sure the islands, our people, and our businesses, stay connected.”

You can read JT’s Progress Report 2019/20 and Financial Statements by clicking here.

EVie environmentally sustainable e-bikes
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JT Supporting the Green Transport Revolution

A fleet of environmentally sustainable e-bikes and e-vehicles are being kept on the road thanks to the award-winning mobile network and technology developed by JT.

JT’s IoT (Internet of Things) division worked with the team at EVie while it was testing its e-bikes in Europe, and now provides the smart data connectivity that’s needed in all of its e-bikes and electric vehicles used on Jersey’s roads.

That technology is used by EVie to track the location and status of the entire fleet enabling it to keep its emission-free cars, vans and bikes moving 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It allows customers to simply use the apps to locate their nearest e-bike or to hire an electric car or van, wherever they are in the island.

Tom Noel, JT’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, said: “Supporting the environment and helping drive sustainability for our community are at the heart of what we do at JT. With our growing global network and our skills within IoT technology, we’ve been able to help find a viable and innovative way to change how we, as a community, think about transportation. Working with an organisation like EVie that shares our values, fits perfectly with JT’s purpose of connecting our customers to their sustainable future.”

Customers simply download EVie’s Freebike app or the EVie Car app, register and follow the process to start using one of the green machines, and in response to the COVID-19 crisis, EVie is providing 50 of its e-bikes free of charge to healthcare workers as part of its #EVieWarrior campaign. The fully electric, long range bikes can shorten the commute time for key healthcare workers.

Gavin Breeze, Director at EVie, said: “Among our aims at EVie is to convert Jersey into an all-electric island, reduce congestion on our roads and in car parks and promote healthier lifestyles. Being able to link into JT’s world-class mobile network has been key to the success of this project. Having the input from JT’s experts available on our doorstep meant we were able to launch both our electric vehicle and e-bike services with ease.”

Mac Millan Cancer Support
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Communications boost for local cancer charity, with JT partnership

JT’s 600 plus people have always played a key role when it comes to choosing which charities will benefit from their annual fundraising and volunteering activities.  Having people with an active interest in their communities means they have strong connections to organisations that make a real difference.

This year, across the seven global locations where JT have an office, people unanimously decided in their annual ballot that charities which support people living with cancer and their families would be the focus of their giving and support in 2020.   The Jersey office has chosen Macmillan Cancer Support Jersey, who offer support to anyone affected by cancer in the island, and their team in Guernsey will partner with Guernsey Cancer support.

Lauren Perchard-Rees, Macmillan Jersey’s Chief Executive said: “We are delighted to be partnering with JT, a team that is clearly passionate about being part of what we do. With their digital expertise and telecoms infrastructure, we are hoping to take our fundraising to a new level, using automated donations and planning ‘drop-in’ sessions in JT’s Queen Street store.   Over half of those that use Macmillan Jersey’s services are friends and family of people who have been diagnosed. Together with JT, we will be helping keep families connected to their loved ones while being away from home for treatment and care.”

Tamara O’Brien, Group Head of Customer Experience said: “With nearly 2,000 cancer diagnoses a year in the Channel Islands, the chances are we all know someone, likely more than one person, who has been affected in some way by this disease.

“For this reason alone, we are all fully committed to supporting Macmillan Jersey and Guernsey Cancer Support as they care for our loved ones. It’s important to us that we get involved with causes that are dedicated to helping others because without additional support, many services would not be so readily available.”

Helping local charities and initiatives is embedded into JT’s culture; it’s a great way to bring people together and give back to the places we call home. We will be working with Macmillan Jersey and Guernsey Cancer Support to make the best use of our expertise to help develop their digital patient services and make a positive impact where it is most needed.

Over the past 12 months, JT teams have raised over £21,000 for charities around the world also supporting our Australian colleagues in the aftermath of the recent devastating bush fires.

Check our latest JT Presents video featuring Macmillan Cancer Support > 

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.

About JT
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JT Core Network essential maintenance in Jersey

Please note, a software upgrade to the fixed landline and broadband network will take place in phases over the next few weeks.

The work will take place between midnight and 06.00am on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 13th February to 12th March, covering different locations on each occasion, details can be found here.

During this maintenance users will be unable to make or receive landline calls for a maximum of 15 minutes.

Note: the mobile network will continue to work, however some users may experience reduced coverage.

Any customer without a mobile phone, who is concerned about this short outage can contact JT on 882882 or visit our retail store to request a loan mobile phone for use over this time.

These planned works are part of JT’s on-going commitment to provide a high quality, reliable and secure service to our customers.

JT will post the locations of each planned works and any updates or changes on our Service Announcements webpage.

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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/

Daragh McDermott, Corporate Affairs Director at JT
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Broadband speeds to double to a minimum of 500 Mbit/s for all broadband subscribers

Being recognised during 2019 as the first jurisdiction in the world to make full-fibre available to every broadband user and being listed as the third fastest country/territory in the world in terms of broadband speeds was a huge milestone for JT and Jersey.[1]

The next stage in the JT published roadmap is to further increase the minimum speeds available to all subscribers. We are therefore pleased to announce that the JT network will be using its full-fibre network to deliver an increase to minimum broadband speeds from 250 Mbit/s to 500 Mbit/s for all subscribers.

Our engineers will be starting this work on Monday 13th January 2020 and then steadily introduce the increased speeds for all users over the course of that week.

Daragh McDermott, Corporate Affairs Director at JT commented: “Since we commenced our programme of installing full-fibre to replace all copper connections in Jersey, we have committed to a path of increasing the speeds delivered across that network. This is the next step in that process and will be welcomed by customers to match their growing demand for enabling their connected lives.”

Senator Lyndon Farnham, Jersey’s Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture and Deputy Chief Minister said “This is good news and reflects well on Jersey as we enter a new decade very much on the front foot in this sector. We have invested in a unique asset on the island, which places us well ahead of most places in the world for high speed connectivity. It is therefore pleasing to see JT pressing ahead with its plans to maximise usage of this important fibre infrastructure asset.”

[1] https://www.cable.co.uk/broadband/speed/worldwide-speed-league/

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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.”