Islanders embrace digital technology

Monday 24 March 2014

Recent statistics, released by telecoms provider JT, demonstrate the extent to which Islanders are going digital.

The statistics show that a widespread adoption of data hungry devices, such as iPads and Smartphones, has resulted in a considerable increase in data consumption in Jersey.

The research shows:

• The average home in Jersey, which has been switched over to the new fibre-optic broadband network now has more than ten devices, such as phones, PCs, laptops, iPads and games consoles, all needing to connect to the internet. That compares to an average of around five devices on the copper-based broadband network, which is currently being replaced.

• Data usage has doubled since last January. Just one year ago the JT network carried around 2.5 Terabytes (TB) each week, this has now doubled to 5 TB per week. To put that into perspective, one TB is the equivalent to 1,000 Gigabytes and 5 TBs equates to 2,000 High Definition movies.

• Apple is now the most popular brand of mobile handset amongst JT customers, having just overtaken Nokia, which had held top spot for more than a decade. 

• 59% of customers now own a smartphone (rather than a traditional handset) which is one of the highest smartphone penetrations in Europe.

JT’s Head of Commercial Development, Dominic Vye, said the statistics show that Jersey is embracing new digital technology wholeheartedly and ahead of many places in the world:

“We think these stats paint a really interesting picture of current consumer behaviour in Jersey. The increasing connectivity of smartphones and tablets on our network demonstrates that technology is playing an increasing role in our lives and that our customers are finding more and more ways to utilise that technology in order to benefit them in their day-to-day lives,” he said.