Daragh McDermott Managing Director, JT Channel Islands
Powering Connections While We’re Apart JT’s priority throughout its 132-year history has always been to keep our customers connected. Never was that more apparent than in 2020, when our teams responded to the escalating global problems with a real sense of purpose and pride. Here, I’d like to focus in on some of the stories from our business in the Channel Islands which I think weave together the strands of how JT supports the local communities.
Our COVID-19 response Fast, reliable, connectivity to every household was vital to ensure islanders could continue to work, learn and socialise from home. To accommodate a demand for our services that was truly 24/7, we increased our network capacity, doubling the minimum available speed for all broadband customers from 500Mbps up to 1Gbps at no extra cost.
We provided a free mobile or fixed broadband connection to school children and care workers, so they could continue their education, training and employment remotely, interacting with teachers, lecturers and employers online. Understanding that connectivity is a necessity and lifeline for many, we suspended charges for exceeding broadband limits, provided free local landline calls for every customer for a 3-month period, or as long as was needed. We also continued all services to residential and small business customers unable to pay their current bills, waiving late fees and including them in the network capacity upgrade. To mitigate the financial effects of the crisis for all customers, we reviewed and improved our own payment terms, ensuring small, local suppliers got paid quicker. We encouraged anyone in financial difficulty to contact us to discuss a workable payment plan.
