Year: 2018

Following our public appeal for support, JT has chosen the JSPCA as its charity of the year in 2019 and will be encouraging staff to support the charity in the coming year with events and corporate and personal fund-raising.

Earlier this year we took steps to engage the public to support us and ensure that both the charity and Animals’ Shelter would be able to continue providing services for the Jersey community for many years to come.

Kevin Keen, the JSPCA’s volunteer Chief Executive Officer said: “To end the year with positive news is great for everyone involved. We are really pleased that our campaign has resulted in JT choosing us as the beneficiary of their annual fund-raising. Their support will help raise awareness of the services we provide and generate funds.”

Christophe Chateau, JT Group Head of Culture and Staff Engagement, said: “The JSPCA were an obvious and popular choice for us as our 2019 charity of the year. So many of us will have had contact with the Animals’ Shelter over the years and know just how vital their services are for the Island’s sick, injured or homeless and lost pets. Without their presence, a much-needed service would disappear from our community. We know that our people at JT will get behind the efforts of the charity to help fund the shelter in the same enthusiastic way that they have thrown their support behind many local charities and initiatives by fundraising and volunteering for decades. We are very hands-on and passionate about our community.

“As a locally-owned company, we’d also love to see other Jersey companies take up the opportunity to choose the JSPCA as their focus for fund-raising in 2019 and beyond so that we continue to have a Shelter and service to be proud of.”

As well as encouraging corporate sponsorship and funding the charity has reached out directly to Islanders to support them through ongoing donations and fundraising. For more information about fundraising for the JSPCA go to our Support Us page.

Analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® has confirmed that JT customers enjoy the fastest mobile data speeds in both Guernsey and Jersey.

Results from all mobile networks in the Channel Islands were analysed by Ookla, the global leader in fixed broadband and mobile network testing applications, data and analysis between April and September this year.

Those tests, which are carried out by islanders themselves, confirm that JT has the fastest mobile networks.

Ookla’s results are widely trusted by regulators, trade groups and analysts and are used by virtually every major mobile carrier and internet service provider in the world. Each day, more than ten million tests are actively initiated by consumers across all Speedtest platforms, with over 20 billion completed to date.

Daragh McDermott JT, said: “Our customers regularly tell us that they enjoy the speed of our 4G networks in Jersey and Guernsey, and these test results from Ookla provide the research data to confirm their feedback – JT’s networks are the quickest.

“We’re really pleased to have that confirmed, for the third year running, by Ookla, as its clearly good news for our customers, and testament to the hard work of JT’s engineering teams who are responsible for building and maintaining the best possible mobile networks.

“We see it as our responsibility to deliver the best connectivity that we can for Channel Islanders, and have demonstrated that through our fibre broadband networks, our 4G networks, and more recently with the announcement that we will begin to install 5G (subject to the necessary radio spectrum being allocated by the regulator) in 2019.

“Our aim is to make the islands one of the best-connected places in the world, and this recognition from Ookla confirms that work is paying off.”

“With millions of tests taken using Speedtest every day, Ookla has developed a robust and comprehensive view of worldwide internet performance. It is our pleasure to recognize JT as the Fastest Mobile Network in Guernsey & Jersey based on our rigorous analysis. This award is a testament to JT’s exceptional performance, as experienced by their own customers, in Q2 and Q3,” said Jamie Steven, Executive Vice President at Ookla.

Just 4 years on from the successful deployment of its 4G network JT is again partnering with ZTE to create a new 5G mobile network for our Islands. The deal was signed on Tuesday in Shenzhen, China, during an official Jersey trade delegation to further develop the Islands’ business links with Asia.

Now contracts are signed, JT will begin work with ZTE on this new network aiming to launch a test service during 2019, subject to CICRA licensing spectrum. Whilst the 5G standard is not complete yet, JT aims to roll out incremental improvements as standards solidify and expects to offer a Channel Island wide service by 2021.

5G enables download speeds up to 10x faster than today’s speeds, together with the ability to connect many more devices. In time it will play a key part in supporting our Islands’ role as an Internet of Things ‘Digital Sandbox’. JT forecast that, in addition to thousands of IoT devices, by 2023 10% of Islanders will have 5G enabled devices.

Graeme Millar, JT CEO said: “Our goal is to build the best networks we possibly can for islanders to enjoy. We aspire to build on our island’s world beating fibre network and now offer Channel Islanders the best 5G service in the world.  Our role is to support our customers, providing them the technology to do whatever they want. By building these information super highways we make this possible.

ZTE are the ideal partner, who’ve supported us already with our 4G network. We know customers appreciate its speed and quality. Indeed, our ZTE 4G network has been ranked as the fastest in the CI by global assessor Ookla for the last three years running. We expect more of the same from our Islands’ new 5G network.

We’re committed to ensuring customers continue to enjoy the best connectivity in the world by both wire and air: the journey moving from 4G to 5G will be similar to the revolution from copper to fibre. Whilst it will be a complex project involving the complete upgrade of our mobile network, new customer handsets and other changes, we believe we are ideally placed to help our customers experience the benefits this technology offers.

It was an honour to sign this deal during a formal trade delegation visit to China, when we were also able to support Jersey in developing business in Asia. We are proud to give voice to our Islands on the world stage and firmly believe the Channel Islands can hold their own in terms of connectivity against any country in the world. We thank all Channel Islanders for supporting the development of our advanced networks and services.”

Kenneth Cao, Managing Director ZTE UK commented: “This is a key milestone for both ZTE and JT to start the journey of 5G. 5G is an enabler for technology innovation and digital transformation and at ZTE we aim to be a world leader in 5G solution development. As we did through our 4G partnership, ZTE are determined and committed to provide the best possible 5G solution and service to JT and for the Channel Islands. ‘

Issued by James Filleul at Direct Input. Telephone 01534 735253 or email james@directinput.je for more information.  To find out more about 5G visit www.jtglobal.com/5G and to find out more about Ookla’s global speed test rankings visit www.jtglobal.com/fastestnetwork.

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In Photos: Graeme Millar CEO JT Group, Daragh McDermott Corporate Affairs Director JT Group, Kenneth Cao, Managing Director ZTE UK and Dr Han Gang, Vice-President ZTE Corporation

The first JT-sponsored Institute of Directors’ Winter Seminar of the series is set to provide a fascinating insight into the benefits and risks of new technology, particularly in relation to the advancement of boards. The seminar, titled The Shape of Things to Come will be held at the Old Government House on Friday 16 November at 12.15 pm.

Panellists will include Emma Bailey, the GFSC’s Director of the Authorisations and Innovation Division; Wayne Atkinson, Partner at Collas Crill; Susie Crowder, Non-Executive Chairman at Nexus Technology Ltd and CEO of Bright Futures LBG, and Matt Thornton, co-founder of Guernsey-based tech start-up, Cortex Technologies.

Iain Beresford, organiser of the JT-sponsored Winter Seminar series, said: “There’s no doubt that innovation and technological disruption is affecting every business, every industry and every economy, including Guernsey, and while it can be a powerful and opportunist force for driving business and economic growth and performance, it also presents significant risks to some companies.

“While there is no question that, by their very nature, technological disruption and innovation provide significant challenges to regulators and policymakers, can they also create an environment to cultivate and promote innovation, and potentially deliver innovations to the marketplace in a way in which they could not have developed on their own? In this seminar we’ll be looking to explore these ideas and understand their implications.

Tamara O’Brien, Deputy Managing Director of JT Guernsey, said: “We’re really pleased to continue our long-standing support of these topical lunchtime events in partnership with the IoD. As an enabler of new technology ourselves, through our mobile and broadband networks, we’re very aware of the benefits and also the challenges that innovation brings. One of the best ways to manage disruption is to discuss it openly and honestly, which these important seminars allow our business community to do. It promises to be a fascinating event with debate stimulated from an informed expert panel.”

 

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Jersey’s digital best were honoured at an exciting new awards ceremony last night and Digital Jersey is proud to announce that the 2018 Jersey TechAwards winners are as follows:

Digital Company of the Year – JT

Digital Start-Up of the Year – Pinpoint

Best Use of Technology in Education – Beaulieu Convent School

Technology Project of the Year – States of Jersey, Concerto asset management

Digital Creative Project of the Year – Flux

Technology Student of the Year – Adam Le Tarouilly

Technology Teacher of the Year – Rory Steel

Digital Growth Business of the Year – JT

Digital Leader of the Year – Damon Eastwood, Switch Digital

Digital Team of the Year – Race Nation

The ten winners were chosen by a judging panel comprising representatives from both the private and public sectors, from both on and off the Island. All of whom have a broad interest in, and understanding of, the digital sector.

The event took place in the Chart Room at Castle Quay and the awards were presented by the host for the inaugural event financial writer, technology advocate and acclaimed British comedian, Dominic Frisby.

Tony Moretta, CEO of Digital Jersey, said ‘We are thrilled to see Jersey’s digital best celebrated in this way. We had so many excellent and vastly diverse entries for these awards, testament to the fantastic work being done around the island to grow our digital industry. Huge congratulations go to our first ever Jersey TechAwards winners, all of whom really stand out as exceptional contributors to our industry.’

The Jersey TechAwards, organised by Digital Jersey, in association with the Jersey section of BCS (the International section of the Chartered Institute for IT) and sponsored by Prosperity 24/7, was established to showcase key aspects of the digital sector including the Internet of Things, Digital Health and FinTech.

David Cartwright, chairman of BCS Jersey, said “An exciting evening saw ten extremely worthy winners take home awards that acknowledge their excellence and their contribution to the technology industry in Jersey. One must also acknowledge the others on the shortlist: we had dozens of very strong entries but, of course, not everyone can win an award. When we conceived the Tech Awards the intention was to make it an annual event, and I hope next years will be both stronger and more plentiful”.

Chris Clark, CEO of Prosperity 24/7, said to be able to sponsor the inaugural awards was an honour. As we all know, technology is pervasive and is the life blood of Industry in Jersey. Seeing this recognised, applauded and celebrated last night amongst 250 peers, creates an indelible mark in the memories of all who attended. The positive energy and ground swell regarding the potential for digital transformation to support productivity and innovation across our economy is an accolade that Digital Jersey should also take pride in, as they act as the focus point for us all to support, enabling the Digital economy to continue to grow and prosper.

Jersey TechAwards marked the culmination of Jersey Tech Week, an event dedicated to the digital sector, featuring keynote convention speakers with topics ranging from AI to blockchain; smart homes and cyber security, and which also saw the launch of the Island’s first Internet of Things hub: DJX.

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Islanders of all ages are invited to join volunteers from JT and professional athletes of the Super League Triathlon to help clean the beach at West Park before the world-class action gets underway.

The big JT Beach Clean will take place on Thursday 27 September from 3.30 pm and is being organised by JT in association with Little Feet Environmental and Jersey Marine Conservation, JT’s chosen charities for 2018. A team of volunteers from across all business areas of JT will be taking part and hope Islanders of all ages will join them to help ready the area for worldwide attention.

Eight athletes who will be competing in the Super League Triathlon that weekend (29/30 September) will also be joining in, providing a great opportunity for the public to meet the professionals before their attention turns to the high-speed competition around the Harbour and Waterfront.

Christophe Chateau, JT’s Head of Culture & Employee Engagement, said: “We’d like as many people as possible to come down to the area in front of La Frégate Café for 3.30 pm, or as soon as you can after the schools finish. The eyes of the world will be on that part of Jersey in the following days, so we want to make sure Jersey is looking its very best. It should be a great community event, with the charities, athletes, team JT and the people of Jersey taking part.”

As the official Technology Partner of Super League Triathlon, JT is actively involved over the weekend, including running the free JT Fan Zone – an area above the Waterfront car park which will include live music, food and drink, children’s activities and a ‘tech zone’ for adults and children alike to test their sporting prowess in a Virtual Reality world.

Michael D’Hulst, CEO and co-founder of Super League Triathlon, said: “At Super League Triathlon, we are passionate about being a sustainable company and reducing our impact on the world. Our athletes share this passion as they are out in nature training for so much of the year. We will be reducing the use of plastic as much as possible across the RBC Super League Jersey event, helped by JT. Come along to the JT Beach Clean and join our athletes in keeping Jersey and our oceans clean.”

The clean will be led and coordinated by Little Feet Environmental and Jersey Marine Conservation. It should last around two hours, although the more people who turn up, the quicker the clean will be.

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Digital excellence, innovation and inclusivity will be at the heart of the fifth National Coding Week, sponsored by JT.

This year’s National Coding Week (NCW) takes place 17 – 23 September and will offer a full programme of events in both Jersey and Guernsey to encourage interest in learning digital skills and provide hubs of activity that highlight inclusivity, social contribution and innovation.

Jersey-based NCW Head of Strategy Jonathan Channing said that the 2018 programme of events demonstrates the relevance of digital knowledge in all sectors of our community.

The week kicks off with a JT hosted launch event at the Digital Hub on 17 September which will look at the opportunities presented by new technologies and will also help people understand how to protect themselves from online threats. At the event, the NCW team will also demonstrate an augmented reality T-shirt and app, which uses computer-generated content to show the inside of the human body.

“The events we have lined up this year are a genuinely exciting mix and really do show the scope of digital innovation and the ways in which it is now embedded in so many areas of our lives. There are a range of events in both Jersey and Guernsey that will showcase the extent of digital innovation within our communities and there will also be many opportunities to join digital networking and leadership events in both islands,” said Mr Channing.

Mr Channing said that he was delighted that NCW’s work had recently been endorsed by the National Cyber Security Centre, which provides advice for the public and private sector in how to avoid computer security threats, for helping to make people aware of the need to be secure online and looking for ways to balance this with accessibility.

Dr Ian Levy, Technical Director for the National Cyber Security Centre, a part of GCHQ, said: “National Coding Week is a great reason to try your hand at coding but take the time to learn about writing secure code as well – it’s even more fun! This week, whether you’re a beginner or pro, I challenge you to learn one new technique to make your code safer. Safer code means a safer UK.”

Jersey Library and Digital Jersey will be the centres of activity in Jersey with Digital Greenhouse playing host to a variety of events in Guernsey throughout the week.

Tamara O’Brien, JT’s Head of Customer Experience, said: “It’s inspiring to see how National Coding Week has continued to grow which is down to the passion and energy of the organisers and their commitment to promoting digital learning and skills for people of all ages and abilities. We have been involved for 5 years providing sponsorship and one of the reasons that we’re very happy to support NCW is that it is centred around the concept of accessible technology and helping people in our communities to adapt to new changes in the digital world. Their events are inclusive and open to all provided in a relaxed environment which I’ve seen first-hand the benefits of, in helping people of all ages grow in confidence and adapt to the opportunities of the digital world.”

NCW was the brainchild of Islanders Richard Rolfe and Jordan Love and over the past five years, it has spread globally with events now being held as far away as the US and Australia.

Guides which explain how to get involved in NCW, case studies and the full programme of events are available on the NCW website https://codingweek.org 

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Jersey’s ground-breaking fibre-optic network, which means that Islanders now enjoy some of the fastest internet speeds in the world, has been shortlisted in two categories at the global telecoms awards.

The World Communications Awards, which will be held in London at the end of October recognise innovation and excellence in global telecoms. The Island is shortlisted in two categories – Best Network Transformation Initiative and Broadband Pioneer Award. Both submissions focus on the recently completed ‘Gigabit Jersey’ project, which has seen every broadband customer in the Island connected to a full-fibre network, meaning Jersey has now become the first jurisdiction in the world to have every building with a broadband connection linked to this hyperfast and resilient network.

The completion of the project has already put Jersey on the telecommunications world map. Earlier this year, JT won the Fibre Connectivity Award at the prestigious Connected Britain Awards and the project will also be featured in the Technology Review paper within this year’s Parliamentary Review, an annual publication produced by the Houses of Parliament.

Graeme Millar, JT’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “To be shortlisted at our industry’s ‘Oscars’ is, in itself, a great honour and achievement and helps further raise our Island’s reputation globally. What we have achieved is down to the support of everyone on Jersey, the States of Jersey and the incredible work of the JT team and I would like to thank everyone for their support, energy, and commitment. To have companies and jurisdictions much larger than JT and bigger than Jersey now look to us to know how to achieve such an ambitious project is something we can all take great pride in

Iain Laird, Field Engineer Manager at JT said: “This shortlisting means so much to me and my colleagues.  Having been in our customers’ homes throughout this process, talking to them and connecting them, we see every day what a difference technology makes to people’s lives and how fibre really is enabling people to connect in whatever way they want, now and in the future.”

You can also find the shortlist on the WCA website, here: http://bit.ly/2PYFUW2

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Autism Jersey’s annual Golf Day, sponsored by JT, raised a record-breaking £28,000 for the charity, which will help it build the Island’s first purpose-built centre for people and families living with autism.

The Charity is currently holding a public consultation about plans for a new £1m facility that it hopes to build by 2020. As well as becoming the new home for the charity, it will offer a range of services to the 1,000 Islanders estimated to be on the autistic spectrum and their families. This will include permanent and respite accommodation.

The Golf Day – the most important event on Autism Jersey’s fundraising calendar – was held at La Moye on Friday 10 August, with an impressive 23 local teams taking part, with the overall winning team being Continuum, led by Captain Dan Hare.

Nick Winsor, the Chairman of Autism Jersey, said: “Once again, the Autism Jersey Golf Day was a great community event which raised a record-breaking £28,000 pounds. This will help us achieve our long-term goal of providing a permanent home for Autism Jersey and a hub from which to provide community-based services. I would like to make a special mention of the sponsor for the day, JT, whose continuous contribution is having a positive impact on the lives of autistic Islanders.”

Daragh McDermott, Director for Corporate Affairs at JT, said: “I’ve been involved with Autism Jersey for many years now and I’ve seen first hand the fantastic support the charity provides to many individuals and families. JT is delighted to play whatever part we can to help raise awareness and fund the great work they do, it’s something we are very proud of. The Golf Day itself was, as always, filled with a combination of friendly rivalry and some great golf, I’d like to thank everyone who helped to make the day happen in particular all those that participated and congratulations to Continuum for their very well-deserved victory.”

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JT has reached the final round in two categories of the 2018 European Contact Centre and Customer Service Awards (ECCCSA), a major endorsement of its longstanding service to Channel Islanders. This comes shortly after the team was also shortlisted in the UK Customer Experience Awards 2018 for Customer Service Team of the Year, winners of which will be announced at Wembley Stadium in the autumn.

The only locally owned telecoms operator in the islands, is among a select group of international companies in the running for the Best Customer Service Team and Best Contact Centre of the Year (Small) categories.

The JT Customer Contact Centre services over 50,000 residential and business customers across the Channel Islands, as well as managed services for JT’s international customers. This relatively small, dedicated team can receive on average 13,000 calls, 5,300 emails and 1,500 social interactions and live chats each month. They also respond to 999 emergency calls and provide a 24/7 service to 500 people who carry emergency call system alarms, so it is exciting to see this busy team recognised for their hard work and extremely high standards.

Overall, JT’s strategy and focus are to deliver a consistent and high-quality customer experience and response across every ‘touch point’, however, customers choose to interact with the company: be it in person, over the phone, through social media or via Livechat using their app or website. Since putting in place a dedicated Customer Experience Team a few years ago, all of JT‘s people who interact with customers; from engineers to sales teams, have received special training to ensure that the company provides the best possible service across the organisation.

Tamara O’Brien, JT’s Group Head of Customer Experience, said: “Everyone at JT understands the part they play within the wider organisation in serving our customers to the highest possible standards. None more so than our Customer Experience Team because we recognise that, in our small island communities, our contact centre is not only a source of information but can also be a lifeline. Of course, this is literally the case with 999 calls, but it is also critical that every customer feels as though he or she is being looked after and problems will be fixed quickly and efficiently.

“I’m proud to say that customer experience is at the heart of what we do, and we’re delighted that our ongoing efforts and focus on continuous improvement, have been recognised by being shortlisted at these Europe-wide awards.”

Hosted by BBC presenter Fiona Bruce, the European Contact Centre and Customer Service Awards will take place in Battersea Park, London, on 27 November. Last year, more than 1,100 people attended.

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