JT Group Limited facts for kids
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Trade name
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JT |
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| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1888 |
| Headquarters | Saint Helier, Jersey and St Peter Port, Guernsey |
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Key people
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Daragh McDermott (CEO) Meriel Lenfestey (Non-Executive Chairman) |
| Services | Managed Services
Voice Mobile Cloud Data Centre Cybersecurity SIM swap prevention Sponsored Roaming mobile number portability EGaming |
| Owner | States of Jersey |
| Subsidiaries | Jersey Telecom Limited Jersey Telecom (UK) Limited |
JT Group Limited, known simply as JT, is a company that provides phone, internet, and other communication services. It is the main company for several smaller companies, like Jersey Telecom Limited. JT mostly offers its services in the Channel Islands, which are islands located between England and France.
Contents
History of JT
In 1972, a law was passed in Jersey that allowed the government of Jersey, called the States of Jersey, to take over the island's telephone systems. Before this, the British Post Office ran them.
Becoming a Private Company
In 1973, the government created a special group called the Telecommunications Board. This group had a "monopoly," meaning it was the only company allowed to offer phone services. It stayed under government control until 2003. That year, the market was opened up, allowing other companies to compete.
In 2002, JT got permission to offer phone and mobile services in Guernsey too. This part of the company was known as Wave Telecom. In 2003, Jersey Telecom became a private company. However, the States of Jersey still owned 100% of it.
New Developments and Growth
In 2006, the Jersey government thought about selling JT, but they decided not to in 2008. In November 2006, JT announced it would install a new, powerful underwater cable. This cable connected Dartmouth in England to Guernsey.
In 2009, Graeme Millar became the CEO of JT. In April 2010, JT restarted its Next Generation Networking (NGN) program. This program had faced some technical problems earlier. In September 2011, Jersey Telecom officially changed its name to JT.
In 2012, JT bought another company called Worldstone. By September 2014, JT started building a new 4G mobile network in Jersey. The first parts of this network went live in February 2015. The entire island had 4G coverage just three months later. In 2016, JT also partnered with Fon, allowing its fibre broadband customers to use Fon's Wi-Fi hotspots.
Testing New Technology
In 2018, JT started working with Sony to test new wireless technology. This technology, called LPWAN, is for the Internet of Things. It helps small devices send data using very little power. That same year, JT also teamed up with ZTE to bring a 5G network to the Channel Islands.
These partnerships are part of Jersey's plan to be a "digital sandbox." This means Jersey is a place where new communication technologies can be tested. In 2018, JT won the Digital Company of the Year award at the Jersey TechAwards.
How JT Works
JT in Guernsey
Since 2002, JT Group has worked in Guernsey through its company "Wave Telecom Limited." This company was fully owned by JT Group. Later, Wave Telecom also changed its name to JT, just like the rest of the company.
JT Fibre Internet
JT Fibre is a project to bring super-fast fibre optic internet directly to homes. This project started with a budget of £41.5 million. The States of Jersey government provided £20 million of this money. The first homes were connected in February 2012.
The project faced some challenges in 2013. However, JT kept working on it. By January 2017, the work was 70% finished. The project took longer because new homes were built, and these also needed fibre connections.
In 2018, JT announced that its full-fibre network was complete. This made Jersey the first place in the world where all broadband users were on a fibre network. JT laid over 3,000 kilometers of fibre optic cable. This connected more than 45,000 homes and businesses across the island.
In January 2020, JT doubled its broadband speeds for all customers. Speeds went from 250 Mbit/s to 500 Mbit/s. In March 2020, JT increased speeds even more, to 1 Gbit/s, at no extra cost. This was done to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 2021, JT has one of the fastest networks in the world.
Internet of Things (IoT)
In June 2021, JT sold most of its Internet of Things (IoT) business. This part of the company now operates as Velos IoT from Jersey. The Internet of Things connects everyday objects to the internet.
Working with Others
In 2019, JT partnered with Speednet Communications, a mobile network in Belize. JT now provides a managed roaming service for Speednet. This means JT helps Speednet customers use their phones when they travel. JT's roaming network connects to over 700 networks worldwide.
JT also upgraded its mobile network to prepare for future technologies. It signed a deal with ECI to improve its optical network.
Technology at JT
JT Lab
JT Lab is a special place where new phone and internet products can be tested. They can be tried out in small tests or in real-life situations. The Channel Islands Competition and Regulatory Authorities oversee JT Group's operations.
Gigabit Isles Project
In the early 2010s, JT started the Gigabit Isles project. The goal was to bring super-fast fibre optic broadband to everyone in the Channel Islands. This project aimed to provide different internet speeds to meet various needs.
5G Network
JT has also tested 5G, the newest mobile network technology. They did trials at two test sites, one in Jersey and one in Guernsey. The full launch of 5G depends on getting licenses from the telecoms regulator, the JCRA.
JT's Money Matters
Company Profits
In 2019, JT gave £17 million in dividends to the Government of Jersey's Treasury. Dividends are a share of a company's profits paid to its owners. This amount was similar to previous years.
However, the company's overall profits dropped. JT's CEO, Graeme Millar, explained that this was because of higher costs. JT invested a lot in big projects and new developments. In 2018, profits after tax were £2.2 million, which was less than half of what they were before. JT also said that cutting roaming charges affected how much money they made. It was also expensive to offer unlimited broadband contracts to more users.
See also
- Airtel-Vodafone
- Sure (company)
- Telecommunications in Jersey
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 | Daisy Bates |
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