Month: April 2020

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.

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.”

London, 20 April 2020: ITC Secure (ITC), the managed security service provider (MSSP) and specialist cyber advisory firm, and Jersey-based JT Group, have formed a strategic partnership to bring world-class managed security services to the Channel Islands. This is a step change to cybersecurity on the islands and will be welcome news to all the islands’ businesses.

Following a year-long relationship, this announcement formalises the partnership between the two organisations. This partnership addresses the growing need for better online protection, offering enhanced cybersecurity for JT’s customers across the Channel Islands. It is especially important now as our dependency on digital communications multiplies.

Through this partnership JT has expanded its SOC Services capabilities, including security monitoring, advanced threat detection, managed detection and response, plus early warning of planned cyber-attacks. All delivered 24-hours a day, through ITC’s internationally accredited state-of-the-art Security Operations Centre. This enables closer collaboration between ITC’s security analysts and JT’s technical experts, for faster on the ground response.  Adding this world-class portfolio of managed services to JT’s existing cybersecurity capabilities is a first for the Channel Islands.

The skills gap in the cybersecurity industry is on-going; recruitment and retaining the right experts within a business can be challenging. This partnership brings a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity and risk management, providing Channel Island businesses with round the clock access to qualified analysts to support their digital transformation and protect their business.

Arno Robbertse, Chief Executive of ITC Secure said “We are proud to partner with JT and to provide our services to the Channel Islands. As a globally recognised centre for financial services, Jersey and the other islands, like most places in the world are under constant threat of cyber-attack. It is great for us to be able to make a significant and positive impact on this issue and with JT to help make the Channel Islands a safer place to do business online”.

Graeme Millar, Chief Executive of JT Group said “This new partnership has greatly enhanced our existing portfolio of services, enabling us to provide sophisticated next-generation managed security services to our customers. This is more important now than ever, as we navigate through current events affecting us all, which places an increased pressure on networks and systems, and home working for many businesses. Our relationship with ITC brings together critical skills and expertise that will enable and empower Chanel Island businesses to defend against the evolving threats of tomorrow. Together we will encourage a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to cybersecurity and risk management.”