The future of connectivity

For UK SMEs, the next few years are expected to bring significant advancements in connectivity, as well as even greater growth opportunities. The merger of Three and Vodafone is part of this change, which will transform daily operations through innovations that benefit businesses, such as the rollout of 5G Standalone and beta testing of satellite connectivity. As an SME leader, now is the time to discover how to maximise the benefits that will boost productivity, drive efficiencies, and enable growth, and to prepare for a future where connectivity is faster, better, and more reliable than ever before.

For the past decade, 4G has been the backbone of SME digital transformation. It’s enabled mobile apps, cloud services, and remote work, helping businesses stay agile and competitive. 5G upped the game and is going to go even further, promising even greater speed, reliability, and new capabilities that will transform how you do business.

Shaun Collins, Group CEO of CCS Insight, explains, “The sophistication of business needs has changed radically in the last four or five years. And 5G just adds a layer onto that because it coincides with cloud, security, IoT and a bunch of other technologies, which, even if I’m a small business, could be really important to me.”

The key difference with 5G is that it’s up to ten times faster than 4G [2], and can enable many more connections. 5G speeds make it possible for:

• 4K video conferencing: Seamless virtual meetings without the need for fixed Wi-Fi
  
• Improved collaboration: Instant file sharing and cloud-based tools to boost teamwork
  
• Cost efficiency: Small businesses can operate flexibly without incurring expensive infrastructure costs

5G has enabled businesses across the UK to benefit from ultra-fast speeds and near-instant responsiveness. This means doing more and waiting less. SMEs can access cloud data on-site, run remote diagnostics, and serve customers in real-time. It has offered businesses greater flexibility, enabling their teams to work effectively from anywhere and allowing more devices to be connected simultaneously, securely and reliably. This, for example, will allow logistics firms to monitor fleet performance in real-time.

If this, and so much more, is what 5G enables businesses to do now, what else will new 5G innovations unlock in the future?

“5G Standalone will be different as a result of putting a 5G core into a network,” Shaun Collins says. “That enables the provider to secure a piece of spectrum, to have a sliced piece of the network, which allows them to offer you a guaranteed service quality, security, and a guaranteed latency.”

Think of it like this: 5G enables businesses to work on the go. A busy train station at peak time will be filled with people checking schedules, preparing for meetings, making calls, and downloading presentations. At times like this, you may have experienced difficulty simply making a call because of the sheer volume of people using the network at the same time in one place. 5G Standalone eliminates this problem by slicing a specific portion of the spectrum for use at the station, increasing the speed and capacity of the network. This enables all the users of that network, in that space, to experience better, more powerful connectivity.

A next-generation 5G technology like 5G Standalone will offer:

• Guaranteed service quality, security, and low latency
• More reliable and responsive connectivity
• Guaranteed connectivity enabling business continuity with no downtime, no disruption
• Dedicated virtual networks for specific business needs and mission-critical applications

Ian Fogg, Director of Network Innovation at CCS Insight, suggests, “The promise of 5G Standalone is the ability to have better guaranteed quality of network.”

An area ten times the size of London, approximately 16,500 sq km [1], is planned to be transformed with improved 4G connectivity from VodafoneThree, removing ‘not-spots’ where coverage can be enhanced. Further expansion of 5G will also improve coverage [3]. But what about those hard-to-reach places? Satellite connectivity is emerging as a game-changer for rural, remote, or hard-to-reach areas where traditional mobile networks struggle to deliver reliable service. It can provide a backup for business continuity, ensuring SMEs are always connected.

“The promise of satellite connectivity is that it’s the end of having gaps in coverage,” outlines Ian Fogg. “The idea being that anywhere you can see the sky, you will have some connection.” Direct-to-device satellite services are on the horizon, enabling standard smartphones to connect via satellite in areas with limited coverage and hard-to-reach locations. While satellite connectivity will not replace existing network connectivity as we know it today, it will provide an additional layer of resilience and reach for businesses across the UK.

The opportunities of future connectivity are exciting, but to many SMEs, they may feel complex or even out of reach. To stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive, UK businesses can begin to prepare for the potential of network improvements:

• Assess your needs: Review your current and future business requirements. For example, understanding your current reliance on connectivity helps you see where network improvements could have the most significant impact. Equally, linking your connectivity needs to your strategic growth goals will also help you plan. Do you need higher speeds, more reliable coverage, or advanced features like IoT or AI?
• Test and evaluate: Use provider coverage maps as a starting point, but always verify performance in your actual business locations.
• Stay informed: Keep up to date with network advancements and new offerings from your provider, as many now bundle security, cloud, and AI features with connectivity.
• Use your business network: Attend webinars, read provider updates, or consult with local business groups to learn about the latest network technologies and how other SMEs are using them.
• Build relationships: Work closely with your provider’s business support team to ensure you’re aware of upgrades, new services, and opportunities to enhance your connectivity. Explore how they can meet your needs.

New network innovations and significant advancements in connectivity offer UK businesses benefits that can boost productivity, drive efficiency, and power growth. The evolution from 4G to 5G, the integration of satellite connectivity, and the ongoing investments from the Vodafone and Three merger are creating a new era of opportunity for UK SMEs. By understanding these advancements, assessing your own needs, and embracing new technologies, you can unlock growth, resilience, and innovation. It’s no longer about keeping up; it’s about leading the way.

Footnotes

1. VodafoneThree signs multibillion pound investment deals

• By the end of the year, this integration will remove a total of 16,500 sq/km of not-spots in the UK.
  
• 99.95% of the UK population will be reached with the proposed 5G Standalone implementation.
  
• An area ten times the size of London, about 16,500 sq/km, of not-spots will be eliminated. 
  
  

2. Three Business Benefits of 5G for British Business 

• 5G is that it’s up to ten times faster than 4G
   

3. VodafoneThree delivers automatic coverage improvement to millions of customers, at no extra cost, by sharing network access

• 5G expansion will also improve coverage