Category: Media Centre > News (Global)

JT is one of the first large sized companies in Jersey to support a local scheme that helps revive ecosystems and communities around the world, while also reducing the effect of carbon emissions.

The telecoms company, which launched its 10-year Sustainability Strategy earlier this year, has signed up to Durrell’s Rewild Carbon scheme, which is taking a different approach to the more traditional carbon off-set projects by increasing the benefits to both investors and benefactors. With the support of JT, Durrell will work with our local community and communities around the world to create sustainable livelihoods while also repairing some of the damage that has been caused to nature. Their mission is to rewild species, people and places.

Carbon offsetting provides companies, organisations and individuals the opportunity to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and where this is not possible to offset what they cannot reduce. Durrell’s Rewild Carbon goes further, the scheme addresses the need to solve both the climate and biodiversity crisis by recovering ecosystems, rewilding species, reducing carbon and rebuilding livelihoods. Durrell is guaranteeing 95% of the money invested by its partners in its offset scheme will go straight to nature, with no intermediaries and profiteering.

Tom Noel, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, said: “When we launched our Sustainability Strategy, we specifically researched carbon offsetting schemes that would fit with our own values. It’s important for us and our people to be part of something today that makes tomorrow better for everyone. When we saw the enormous scope and potential that Durrell has with their Rewild Carbon project, we knew this was where our support belonged. By investing in the Rewild Carbon scheme we’re supporting local people as well as protecting endangered species, highlighting social problems whilst educating and reminding us that this is our world, and we are all responsible for it.

As a local business we support the Government’s Carbon Neutral goals. Each month we are making changes to help reach those goals. For example, we continue to reduce the number of vehicles we use on Jersey roads and by converting the remaining fleet to all electric, we are making a significant and tangible difference towards reducing our carbon emissions. Further by joining this scheme we are now taking another proactive step by offsetting the carbon emissions of our remaining on-going fleet and that of our properties. Jersey’s Climate Conversation is well underway, but with conversation comes actions, so for JT committing to being part of this important scheme and working with a brand built on transparency and integrity, we are taking another step towards carbon neutrality. I look forward to a lasting and building relationship with Durrell supporting this fantastic initiative in the years to come.’’

Dr Lesley Dickie, Chief Executive Officer of Durrell, said: “There are so many reasons why businesses should get involved in Rewild Carbon, not just because it will help in the global effort to fight climate change, but they will be seen by their customers and partners as businesses that are doing the right thing. Our first project will be in the Atlantic rainforest, an incredibly lush and diverse forest in Brazil which is home to black lion tamarins, jaguars and giant anteaters. It has shrunk to a tiny fraction of what it once was due to intensive clearance for farming, and only 6% of the interior rainforest remains in isolated fragments. With JT’s help, we are planning to plant corridors of native trees which will trap millions of tonnes of carbon and help local species thrive.”

Keeping customers at the very heart of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic has put JT in the running for more National awards for outstanding customer experience from its teams.  JT’s customer commitment shone through with the company reaching the finals in four categories at the leading UK Customer Experience Awards. This follows similar success last month where JT’s teams are finalists at the International Digital Experience Awards.

JT’s priority throughout its 130 history as the Channel Islands only locally owned telecoms company, has been to keep customers connected while providing a world-class customer experience. Never more so than during the Coronavirus Pandemic, when the demand for fast, reliable, connectivity to every household was unprecedented.  It became vital to ensure every islander could continue to work, learn and stay connected from home, online and equally receive the support from JT when they needed it.

That was recognised in two of the categories the company has been shortlisted for – ‘Customer Experience in the Crisis’ and ‘CX in the Community’ – where it will face competition from leading national brands TalkTalk, the Co-op and LV. JT is also shortlisted in ‘The Best Use of Insight and Feedback’ and ‘Business change and transformation’ categories.

Daragh McDermott, Managing Director JT Channel Islands, said: “ COVID-19  created a global humanitarian and economic crisis which brought challenges for every business in every sector and for our island as a whole.  For JT that meant swiftly combining our expertise and ability to adapt, with our passion for and dedication to excellent customer service. Like so many others, our teams showed immense courage and strength, coming to work every day even if it was from the spare room or the kitchen table – they did it with smiles on their faces and a commitment above all to serve others and make sure our customers stayed connected. We are nothing without the people that make up JT, these dedicated teams are the guardians of the islands critical infrastructure, and this is recognition of that service.”

Tamara O’Brien, Group Head of Corporate Communications, Brand & CX, added: “We’ve always dedicated ourselves to reviewing and analysing how we do things, it’s how we learn, grow and improve. During the pandemic customer enquiries increased by more than 350%, and with that came invaluable feedback and opportunities for us to adapt how we supported our customers better and faster and across the channels they needed us most. From this insight we very quickly adapted our customer experience efforts to meet customers’ primary needs, which were safety, security, and everyday convenience. Our teams rose to whatever challenge came their way, adapted to providing a faster and more digital service and I am so pleased that their efforts are being recognised on a national stage.’’

The winners of all categories are due to be announced in October after a rigorous judging and presentation process: https://cxa.co.uk

After nearly 12 years as CEO, the Board of JT has agreed that Graeme Millar will step down as JT Group CEO. He will remain in Jersey, to head-up its recently sold Internet of Things (IoT) business.

John Diamond, who has been with JT for 11 years – most recently in Australia where he is Senior Vice-President, Asia Pacific – will act as Interim CEO of the JT Group, while a recruitment process for a permanent replacement is carried out.

Phil Male, JT Chair, said “I would like to thank Graeme for the passion and devotion to JT he has shown over the years and the work he has done to transform JT into one of the planet’s most innovative and commercially astute telcos. This has been achieved whilst retaining the company culture that aims to truly support and serve our customers. Whilst both Gigabit Jersey and our international growth have been major successes during Graeme’s time in office, I am most proud of the way that he lead JT to support our communities when Covid hit.

“I know that Graeme will work closely with John Diamond who has for many years been part of our CEO succession plans. John will arrive in Jersey, later this week to take up the position of Interim Group CEO, working with Graeme for a few weeks to ensure a smooth transition. In July the Board will launch the process to select a new permanent CEO.”

Graeme Millar added: “It has been the greatest honour of my lifetime to lead JT, but with Gigabit Jersey complete; a successful sale of our world beating IoT business and our Covid support efforts starting to wind down it is the right time for JT to select a new leader for the next decade. I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the next phase of growth of JT IoT and especially pleased that this will allow me to continue to live in Jersey.

“I would like to thank all of my colleagues at JT that have made the last 12 years so enjoyable and successful. Finally, special thanks to the three Chairmen that I have served under: John Boothman, John Stares and Phil Male, without whose guidance and support I would have achieved so much less.”

For more information, contact Chris Rayner on chris@directinput.je

About JT

From its origins in Jersey in 1888, JT is an innovative global telecommunications firm, employing more than 600 people in 7 global locations.  Our clear purpose is to connect our Channel Island customers to their sustainable future. To do that, we form long-standing partnerships with leading communications businesses to deliver the products and services expected from a full-service, world-class communications provider.   Our fast-growing International business, also includes successful fraud protection and bulk messaging services.

Owned by the people of Jersey, JT has completed a socially inclusive project to install a full-fibre broadband network in Jersey, making the island the first jurisdiction in the world to have 100% full-fibre connectivity to all premises, with the second fastest broadband speeds in the world.

Throughout the Covid crisis JT continues to provide all of its Channel Island Fibre customers with a 1 Gbit/s synchronous service, at no extra cost. Our Channel Island customers also enjoy an award-winning 4G mobile network, with 5G trials currently underway.

JT has launched a 10-year Sustainability Strategy, setting clear targets to reduce its impact on the planet and local environment, and to become a carbon neutral business by 2030.

The JT Sustainability Strategy focuses on two main ambitions, centred around Planet and People. Not only are they focused on reducing environmental impact, but the strategy also outlines their focus on promoting diversity within the organisation and connecting and bringing together our communities. For over a century, JT has been at the very heart of island life, adapting to change and leading innovation and technology in the communities it serves. Today JT has a very clear purpose, which is to help connect their people, customers and islanders to their sustainable future.

The Telecoms operator worked with The Carbon Trust to benchmark and baseline their carbon emissions, bringing existing environmental activities together into a robust and formal planet policy and future vision. That includes using more locally generated renewable energy, reducing their fleet size and moving to electric vehicles, scaling down and repurposing their property estate, while also supporting their customers and partners to reduce their own carbon footprint.

The People strategy also outlines JT’s focus on the community and their commitment to supporting local charities, vulnerable groups and champions the importance of digital education and online security for all. Workforce diversity and inclusion is also a key focus area for the Group which they see as critical to ensure growth and attract the best talent.

Graeme Millar, JT Group CEO, commented: “Climate change remains one of the most urgent challenges for our society today. The fight to contain it requires a genuine commitment from all of us, it’s an opportunity for everyone to work together to protect the world we all share. For us, this is a really important part of our 10-year strategy alongside our ‘social sustainability’ commitment to do good in the communities we live and work in. We’ve a responsibility to champion and lead on digital inclusivity and education and I’m excited to see the benefits that will bring to our islands. We’ve set ourselves some ambitious targets, which won’t be achieved overnight, we hope when we report back each year, we can demonstrate positive steps forward.  We know we won’t get it right first time, however with the support of our people, customers and partners we hope to see good our commitments to supporting our purpose, while providing positive digital and social experiences.

Energy use is an essential part of day to day business operations, but all telecom operators have considerable scope to cut energy costs and consumption which is why JT’s teams are determined to make efficient and sustainable changes wherever the opportunity presents itself.

Tom Noel, JT’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, said: “We’re already making great progress in reducing energy use in all our buildings, using a series of simple solutions such as sensors that make sure lights are not left on, something every business can commit too. We’re putting our foot firmly on the accelerator to achieve wider sustainability goals within our communities, supporting the aims of being a force for good. That’s not just about reducing our use of energy and switching to renewable sources, it’s also about being at the core of community life and supporting a digital future for everyone, because we really believe that the way forward is together’’.

Read our 10-year Sustainability Strategy  >

A former BT executive who helped the organisation achieve a world number one ranking for customer services has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of JT.

Angus Flett is the CEO of Smart Data Communications Company, he has an extensive background in telecoms, including roles in product management, marketing and service operations. He held a senior role at Vodaphone, where he was Senior Vice President for Global Enterprise Products.

While at BT, Angus was the Managing Director of Customer Service and Customer Relationship Management, where he was instrumental in BT’s world number one ranking for agent technical expertise and number two for agent responsiveness. He was also responsible for BT’s Internet Service Provider division which was the fifth largest white-label ISP in the UK, providing services to EE, Vodaphone, Post Office and SSE.

Angus Flett said: “JT’s reputation among much larger businesses in the UK and overseas is already excellent and that reputation is growing rapidly. It is a forward-looking company that is doing remarkable things in the Channel Islands and around the world. That’s why I wanted to join the JT Board, and I’m delighted to be working with such a creative, ambitious and diverse company. What impresses me more though is how well embedded JT is in its community. This was demonstrated this year when it won Silver at the UK Customer Experience Awards, beating BT in its category, I might add. Listening to customers and acting on their feedback to develop products and services shows JT is a company that is moving forward and taking its core customers with them.”

JT Chairman, Phil Male, said: “We are really fortunate that we are able to attract people with such a broad level of experience in senior management as Angus. His leadership at some of the world’s most well know telecoms companies will be a huge asset to the JT Board and will no doubt help with our long-term vision for growth and sustainability both in the Channel Islands and internationally. The business world is facing uncertainty at the moment, but this appointment will further strengthen the ability of the Board to oversee JT’s operations and services.”

Graeme Millar, CEO JT Group, said: “We’re delighted to welcome someone of Angus’s calibre to JT. His expertise and experience will greatly bolster JT’s long-term plans and strategies. It is also hugely beneficial that he comes from a background of customer service and customer relationship management, an area that is very important to us and our people as we continue to provide and receive positive customer experience feedback, which is crucial to the success of our business.”

JT has become the latest large company to begin replacing its vehicle fleet with zero emission alternatives. Ten years ago, it was hard to imagine being able to drive more than a few miles in an electric vehicle, on a single charge – today it is very different and with an ever-growing network of charging facilities, more and more Channel Islands businesses are making the transition from fossil-fuel to low carbon electric transport.

JT have begun their transition by purchasing ten Nissan electric vehicles, starting by replacing the oldest of JT’s fleet of Suzuki vans, supporting their goal of achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2030.

Tom Noel, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, said: “JT has one of the largest commercial fleets in Jersey, with almost 100 cars used daily by our engineers. Our aim is to not only replace all petrol and diesel vehicles but to reduce the number of vehicles on our roads, supporting that with charging points in key locations. As a business that has placed sustainability at the heart of everything we do, we’ve made initiatives like this a key priority of our Sustainability Strategy over the next decade.”

The EV’s may be new to JT but all have been bought at auctions having previously been used by councils in Scotland in keeping with JT’s policy to reuse, reduce and recycle wherever possible.

JT’s people are key participants and drivers of JT’s sustainability programme with many of their ideas now being adopted companywide, including going 100% paperless for note taking by using Rocketbook Fusion notebooks, re-usable water bottles, a solar panelled building and an employee voucher scheme for e-bikes.

‘Moments of global crisis often lead to historical change and the recovery from the pandemic presents a huge opportunity for Governments, businesses and individuals to put action on climate at the heart of their efforts,” said Tom.

JT has announced the launch of its latest service to Channel Island business customers following a successful trial which took place during lockdown, enabling key hospital teams to continue their essential work from home.

JT’s new SD-WAN – Software-Defined Wide Area Network – allowed Jersey’s radiologists to carry out valuable everyday activities securely from their homes, when restrictions meant they couldn’t go to work. This included reviewing scans and x-rays to advise the team at the hospital over the secure link, without patient confidentiality or safety being compromised.

At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the Government of Jersey’s Digital Health Team asked JT to help find a solution for team members to work from home to ensure patient diagnosis wasn’t hindered. The SD-WAN solution was adapted so that six Consultant Radiologists had secure and fast network access by simply plugging the devices into their home broadband routers.

Daragh McDermott, Managing Director JT, Channel Islands said: “We were in the final phase of our SD-WAN project when the Government asked if we could help essential care workers who, because of COVID-19, were struggling with real emergencies. Although the radiologists were using a dedicated secure connection to their corporate network and systems, the speed with which they needed to communicate became critical. Ordinarily, SD-WAN would be used to connect remote offices to company HQs, but the JT solution is flexible enough to deploy in their homes. All they had to do was plug them in and the SD-WAN box did the rest, creating a fast, super secure network over broadband.”

SD-WAN provides a faster and more versatile network than conventional systems and incorporates a next generation firewall to prevent cyberattacks. Using Cloud based technologies allows our customers to save time and money.

The success of the trial can be illustrated by the fact that the surgeons at the General Hospital were able to receive live information direct from a radiologist while they were in theatre.

Dr Chris Hare, Consultant Cardiologist, Jersey General Hospital, said: “I spent a full weekend on-call deliberately reporting all emergency scans from home. There were quite a few and they were complex. With JT’s SD-WAN, it was possible to review scans while patients were still on the table enabling rapid decisions about whether more was needed to be done or if they could return to their ward. With the system we had in place previously I would never have even considered attempting this, they were too slow, making it quicker for me to drive to work. But this new solution from JT is a gamechanger.”

To find out more and JT’s new SD-WAN service visit www.jtglobal.com/sd-wan

JT has been shortlisted in the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) category in this year’s Connected Britain Awards.

It has joined the likes of Sky, Cisco and Westminster City Council on the list of finalists at the prestigious telecoms industry awards, with the winners to be announced – virtually – between the 23rd and 25th September.

Supported by more than 600 roaming agreements across the world, JT can offer multiple network access through a single SIM card, which provides robust, secure and ‘always on’ connectivity.

JT’s award entry focussed on the Nomad IoT Management Platform, which allows our customers to reduce their operating costs by enabling them to monitor and control large numbers of SIMs quickly and efficiently.

A ‘rich’ set of features – such as device location, geofencing and data consumption monitoring – can be accessed via API or UI to orchestrate provisioning, billing and support across multiple operators through a single interface.

In 2020 JT launched its first ‘embedded-SIM’ (eSIM) proposition. eSIM allows customers to easily change their network providers ‘over the air,’ eliminating the ‘lock-in’ effects of traditional SIMs.

Barna Kutvolgyi, MD of JT International, commented: “The Internet of Things is now a truly global phenomenon, with applications across the healthcare, mobility, automotive and infrastructure sectors, all of which are now supported by JT’s solutions.

“We have built an excellent reputation as a global supplier of connectivity, building on our large portfolio of roaming and wholesale agreements which the JT team developed as a way of keeping travellers and any devices connected around the world.

“I’m delighted that the hard work and success of JT’s team has been recognised with this short-listing by such a prestigious scheme as Connected Britain.”