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Broadband, phone and mobile operator Manx Telecom (MT), which is the primary telecoms network for premises across the remote Isle of Man, has announced that their free email service (Manx.net) is to be migrated to a new platform run by Junara. But customers that wish to continue using the service will, from 21st Jan 2026, need to pay £65 a year (or £6.50 per month).
Unfortunately, Manx are by no means the only internet provider to replace their free email platform with a paid or semi-paid one in recent years, with both TalkTalk and Plusnet being two of the most recent UK ISPs to follow a similar sort of trend (here and here). Most internet providers stopped advertising email as a package feature many years ago (plenty of freemail choices these days), and thus most of the users that remain are often legacy ones.
Manx claims that the move will enable them to “focus on [their] core telecommunications offerings,” while at the same time appearing to suggest that the transition is also about “protecting islanders from scams“. But the operator acknowledges that, for over 25 years, it has “subsidised the Manx.net service, providing it free of charge” and that “technology and security requirements have evolved significantly” since then.
In short, Manx Telecom indirectly indicates that they’re no longer willing to acquire the “increasingly specialised expertise” and commit the extra infrastructure investment necessary to maintain their current approach. As a result, Junara (a brand of Atmail), which has been providing the technical platform for Manx.net for several years, has now assumed full ownership and customer support responsibilities.
What this means for customers
If you wish to keep your @manx.net, @isleofman.com, or @isleofman.org email address:
- Go to www.manx.net — type it directly into your browser (don’t click any email links).
- Register with Junara between 21 October 2025 and 20 January 2026.
- Choose your plan: £65 per year (discounted from £79) or £6.50 per month (discounted from £7.50).
- Payment options: Register now and pay later (by 20 January 2026), or pre-pay during sign-up.
- Once registered and paid, your email service will continue without interruption.
Important dates
- Registration window: 21 October 2025 – Tuesday 20 January 2026
- Subscription starts: Wednesday 21 January 2026
- Suspension period: 21 January – 20 April 2026
- Permanent deletion: Tuesday 21 April 2026
Accounts not registered and paid by 20 January 2026 will be suspended from 21 January 2026.
A grace period for reactivation runs until 20 April 2026, after which accounts will be permanently deleted on 21 April 2026.
However, if maintaining your Manx address isn’t absolutely essential, then a better course of action would be to use this time to adopt one of the many free email (Outlook/Hotmail, Gmail etc.) platforms that already exist.
Gary Lamb, CEO of Manx Telecom, said:
“We have been proud to support the Island community with Manx.net for more than two decades. Transitioning the service to Junara, who already power the platform, ensures customers can continue using their @manx.net email address with specialist management. This change protects customers and the service itself for the long term, while Manx Telecom continues to focus on fibre broadband, mobile networks, and business connectivity for the Isle of Man.”
As we’ve said many times before, it’s always wise to use a separate email service from the one provided by your broadband and mobile provider, not least because it can make it harder for you to switch providers (i.e. you run the risk of losing access to your address) and email services aren’t usually regulated (i.e. there isn’t much support for those who experience difficulties).