4G connectivity could benefit British businesses
As businesses around the globe adopt some of the latest technologies in the form of smartphones and tablets, the emphasis is on the ability of these devices to improve their performance.
Indeed, while the gadgets are often praised for the ways in which they support the expanding practice of remote working, they are still dependent upon local infrastructure when it comes to internet connectivity.
And given the benefits effective mobile network coverage can bring in terms of increasing the ease with which people access emails, documents and various files while on the move, research conducted by Everything Everywhere has found that 86 per cent of UK businesses believe their productivity levels would pick up if 4G speeds were to be made widely available.
"In today’s global economy, UK businesses need 4G networks to help them be more productive and compete on the international stage," said Martin Stiven, vice president of B2B, Everything Everywhere.
"Half of the countries on the G20 list of the world’s biggest economies already have 4G, leaving British businesses at risk of falling behind rivals."
What’s more, with 52 per cent of respondents explaining that the primary benefit expected of 4G connectivity would be greater levels of flexible working, it seems that Britain could do well to roll out the high speed mobile internet service.
With staff often needing their email accounts to be available as they travel, the faster connections that could be enjoyed via their smartphones and tablets would reduce the risk of their falling behind as a result of being out of the office.
While there may be some security concerns as workers access company files through such means, secure online document storage systems can protect sensitive data from being exposed as only staff with the necessary clearance are able to view records stored in the network.