Cradlepoint has published the findings from its State of Connectivity in Europe report in cooperation with Censuswide.
According to the report, European businesses could be missing out on billions of pounds as 74% experienced at least two hours of downtime every week. With Statista stating that an hour of downtime for a global business can cost £290,000, this constitutes a huge cost to European economies. On top of this, connectivity problems have resulted in greater operating costs for 47% of businesses, and 33% report losing potential business because of connectivity issues.
In the UK, the survey found that poor connectivity hinders progress in rural areas in rural communities, greatly affecting local businesses and economies. In fact, 84% agree poor connectivity in rural areas means they would set up a new business in a city. Further to this, 79% agree rural areas are being left behind in medical innovation due to poor connectivity, and 73% agree the NHS digital transformation strategy is being held back due to poor connectivity in hospitals.
In light of this, the UK government has recently released its roadmap for wireless infrastructure, which announced investing £40 million to drive the take up of innovative 5G-enabled services for business and the public sector.
“It is reassuring that the UK government has finally released their strategy for improving wireless infrastructure nationwide. Providing clarity and, crucially, funding for 5G and 4G planning is always a welcomed step. However, the proof will be in the execution, and these guidelines must be followed up with strong action to ensure the goals are met,” said James Bristow, SVP EMEA at Cradlepoint. “While this plan is a step in the right direction, the deadline of 2030 is still several years away, and the objectives leave lots of room for improvement. For example, only getting 5G to populated areas means rural areas will continue to be left behind, often the places that need the most attention. Meaning existing digital and productivity gaps will persist in the future as well. If the government is truly determined to establish the UK as a leading nation in the world of wireless infrastructure and unlock the benefits this can bring to businesses, much more support is needed.”
