JT Boost Jersey Ultrafast FTTH Broadband Rollout as Dialup Service Ends

JT Global (formerly Jersey Telecom) has signed a new deal with Swedish open access network specialist Netadmin Systems to help it manage the operation and roll-out of their ultra-fast fibre optic broadband (FTTH) service to 42,000 premises on Jersey (Channel Islands) within the next 3 years.

JT began connecting the first homes and businesses around La Rocque, Fauvic and La Moye to a trial of its new 100Mbps+ capable network earlier this year (here), which incidentally forms part of their wider £40m Gigabit Isles strategy that also includes faster services for neighbouring Guernsey.

It’s understood that Netadmin’s related solution has also been in place since December 2011, albeit only as part of an initial pilot scheme, and will now be rolled out across the whole project. The solution itself will help JT to automate the service fulfilment / assurance processes and provide a “user friendly platform” for JT and other local ISPs “on and off the island” to launch their services. Cisco, Genexis and Dimension Data are also involved in the project.

Dave Newbold, JT’s Chief Operations and Technology Officer, said:

“With the implementation of a full FTTH network planned, and such an advanced network management system soon in place, Jersey is one of the most innovative and commercially viable environments to do business in the Western hemisphere.”

Torbjörn Sandberg, CEO of Netadmin, said:

“JT is well ahead in the planning to implement FTTH to every single property. We learned over the past decade in Sweden that it is not enough to lay fibre alone – but an environment is also required in which multiple service providers can thrive and reach the customers simply and easily.”

In related news JT recently confirmed that the last remaining customers of their old fixed line dial-up (narrowband) internet access service would soon be offered an alternative broadband package as the old connectivity solution is set to be removed.

Barna Kutvolgyi, MD of JT’s Global Consumer Unit, said: “A necessary part of our business is that from time to time we must cease and switch off obsolete systems, such as our Just Connect dial-up service, to make way for newer technology.” It’s claimed that less than 400 customers will be affected by this change and JT is said to be contacting all of them individually.