No one knows what the future holds, but we are opting to believe that the future of the UK rests on the shoulders of an increasingly technologically-dependent society. We aren’t fortune tellers; we just rely on the facts.
Statistics from Ofcom show that a decade ago, just 17% of people owned a smartphone. Now, it’s 78%, and 95% among 16 to 24-year-olds; the generation of tomorrow. Those new to the workforce find it hard to think of a time when a constant internet connection and a smartphone was a privilege rather than a necessity for daily life.
Without a strong, fast, and reliable internet connection, UK businesses will struggle to remain competitive both nationally and globally. In 2018, almost 70% of UK businesses experienced a cyberattack; attacks which are only becoming more frequent and sophisticated. To protect their clients, sensitive data, and profit margins, companies are increasingly reliant on cloud services to back-up their data and prevent downtime.
With more and more data being uploaded and downloaded from the cloud, huge increases in streaming, social media usage, and cloud automation within businesses, it’s clear that the UK’s dependence on slow, outdated, copper wire connections cannot continue to meet the needs of British business.
Full fibre Britain 2033
The government has recognised the relationship between ultrafast gigabit broadband and small business productivity and profitability. They envision the UK as being full fibre by 2033, with talks of disabling all copper connections within a decade. This is more reason to take advantage of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme – a grant for small businesses to claim up to £2,500 against the installation cost of a gigabit-capable connection. In London, this is excellent news. Internet speed is vital to the success of London businesses, however, they are stunted by old-fashioned copper connections. Full fibre will create a notable difference in the performance of businesses and open the gates to higher productivity and influence on a global scale.
Why invest now?
The government has a capped budget of £67 million towards the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. Once all the money is claimed, it’s gone for good. When you need to upgrade to full fibre broadband, capable of carrying 1Gbps (and you will as the plans for a full fibre Britain are firmly in place), you’ll have to pay the complete cost out of pocket. If you invest now, you’ll benefit from £2,500 of the costs to your business. Why wait?
Upgrading gives your business room to grow, unrestricted, at a discounted cost. Your competitors will be taking advantage of the voucher scheme, giving them ultrafast internet speeds at a rate that copper connections cannot compete with as future reliance on the internet increases. How will you keep up without a gigabit-capable connection? And, as an SME, don’t be deterred by the high capacity of a gigabit-capable connection. Just because you can use 1Gbps doesn’t mean you have to. You can choose a plan starting from 100Mbps which still hugely outweighs the speed of copper connections in the UK.
By upgrading now, you’re saving money, and investing in a more profitable future for your business so don‘t wait until it‘s too late.
As a registered supplier of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, M247 can help to future-proof gigabit connectivity to your businesses wherever you are in the UK. To find out more and check your eligibility, get in touch with our team Gigabitvoucher@m247.com or complete the form to request a call back.
