As part of the next phase in its Gigabit Isles initiative, JT has announced the appointment of Dr Peter Cochrane as global ambassador for JT Lab.
Dr Cochrane has an established international reputation as an expert on fibre-to-the-home technology and his views on the topic are sought by organisations, governments and professionals around the world. In his capacity as JT Lab ambassador, Dr Cochrane will work closely with JT’s Global Enterprise team as an independent consultant drawing on his 40 years of technology and operational experience.
He will also be responsible for introducing and developing key business relationships to drive new and future opportunities for JT and JT Lab, and will recommend innovative technologies, businesses and possible acquisitions that will generate new revenues for JT.
Managing director of JT’s Global Enterprise division, Tim Ringsdore, said: “It is vital that what we are doing here in the Channel Islands is brought to the attention of key telecommunications and technology companies around the world who can benefit from the truly unique opportunity we can offer. Peter’s belief in what we are doing together with his breadth of influence and contacts within the industry make him an ideal ambassador for JT Lab and we are absolutely delighted to have him on board.
“JT Lab has already put Jersey on the digital map and with the support of someone like Peter we are now positioned to take our Gigabit Isles initiative to the next level and attract more businesses to Jersey. UTStarcom is the first global company to take advantage of our JT Lab facility and in securing others like them we will prove the broader value to the Channel Islands in our ongoing investments into our ubiquitous fibre network.”
Speaking of this new role, Dr Peter Cochrane, said: “JT are innovators in fibre-to-the-home technology and I am very pleased to play such an important role in helping them take their gigabit strategy to the next level. The fibre-to the-home roll out and Next Generation Network technology make the Island an ideal example of how other countries should be progressing, and as the keynote at the FTTH Conference earlier this year I was pleased to highlight Jersey as the leading light – in this new role I look forward to further supporting JT.”
JT Lab was launched last year to provide global technology businesses with access to a commercially live ecosystem offering the potential to build, test, and deploy services from world-class JT facilities with the Island’s truly high speed international connectivity. JT’s Gigabit Jersey project will provide a Gigabit+ optical service to 100% of Jersey households by 2016, creating the fastest local access network anywhere in the world.
Dr Cochrane has strong links with Jersey through his daughter who lives here and will be visiting the island frequently to retain a close eye on developments concerning JT’s fibre network and JT Lab.
In March Dr Cochrane addressed the House of Lords Communications Committee as part of their inquiry into superfast broadband, and referred to JT’s plan to implement a fibre-to-the-home programme to illustrate how Jersey is progressing ahead of Europe in delivering a fibre-optic network.