How connectivity is driving a new wave of innovative British companies
A new generation of businesses is changing the way Britain does everything from shopping to eating, with mobile connectivity powering a wave of innovation across the country. Rob Waugh investigates
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Everywhere you look, businesses are being transformed by the incredible advances in connectivity and technology.
Payment terminals, connected cameras and even 5G-connected cranes are allowing businesses to find new ways to work, with start-ups able to ‘go digital’ very early in their journey.
Connectivity is enabling companies to find new ways to work with everything from augmented reality try-ons for clothing brands to health apps which are saving lives in the NHS, with the speeds of 5G helping to improve performance.
Connectivity can help to streamline costs, giving business founders funds to invest in growth, boosting efficiency and bringing in new business, says Snehal Bhudia, director of propositions and marketing at Three Business.
Bhudia says: “Our 5G customers are using technology to improve their business models and to be more responsive to the market. The technology barriers are far lower than they have ever been. You can market yourself on Instagram, take payments on your phone, have an app that manages your orders and run your business entirely online.”
The new reality: technological innovations and powerful connectivity are enabling a new generation of businesses to find new ways of working
From security...
Efficient: switching to 5G has saved Manchester-based facilities management firm 3Rio valuable time and money so its employees need to spend less time on the road
Switching to using 5G to stream footage from body cameras allowed Manchester-based facilities management firm 3RiO to save hours of time in resolving issues, and offered a way to find new business, says the company’s operations director Malachy Lynn.
Lynn says: “We are working more safely, our clients are happier because they get a response in real time, and our employees save hours on the road. It’s great.”
The company’s sales operatives now use their 5G connectivity as part of the sales process, using it as a differentiation point to show prospective clients how quickly they can process security footage. The 5G cameras have freed up months of time, sometimes meaning that problems can be resolved in seconds, rather than days. “It’s such a change, it’s just amazing,” added Lynn.
...to airline cargo
Safety first: pilots at market-leading cargo airline West Atlantic take advantage of 5G technology to access flight plans and weather reports on tablets
Another company leveraging 5G to smooth operations is West Atlantic, a market-leading cargo airline which switched to using tablets and mobile connectivity after relying on flight plans and weather information being delivered on paper.
Matthew Moran, senior first officer on one of the company’s Boeing 737 aircraft says: “It makes life easier for pilots. Having the latest information at your fingertips means that you can make the safest decisions more quickly.”
In every sector, organisations are taking advantage of connectivity: from remote construction sites connected to managers by 5G to retailers launching products in the metaverse.
For any business, new connectivity options such as 5G broadband is making it easier to set up new office spaces without engineer installation or landline – and allowing businesses to work from different sites, which is delivering returns across sectors from construction to retail.
78%
of medium SMEs want to upgrade at least one of their communication services, with 5G most popular, according to Ofcom
£18.77bn
is the cost of poor connectivity to British SMEs, according to Three research
80%
of medium SMEs spend at least some of the time working outside an office, according to Ofcom
22%
of micro SMEs never work in the office at all, according to Ofcom
7
Just seven years ago in 2016, 96% of businesses used a landline for business purposes: today, just 51% do, Ofcom’s statistics show
26%
of small business leaders believe remote working enhances team spirit, according to research by CensusWide
of UK small businesses worry that they could be ‘left behind’ if they fail to engage with mobile connectivity, according to Three research
20%
of small business leaders plan to downsize or abandon their offices, according to research by CensusWide
29%
The mobile working revolution
How 5G business broadband can help
5G business broadband offers a flexible way for businesses (both small and large) to get the fast, reliable connectivity they need for less.
There’s no need to lose a minute of valuable time at work, which is why Three offers next day delivery*. There’s no need for an engineer to set anything up; businesses can simply plug in and play for instant connectivity
Find out more
How connectivity is changing every sector
Demand for connectivity is growing across every sector, from construction to retail, says Three’s Snehal Bhudia.
Construction
“We see a lot of demand from construction at present,” continues Bhudia. “Obviously they are popping up in various places, so they need that flexible connectivity. And if they don’t embrace this technology now, they probably will in two or five years.”
At one site in Shetland, led by civil engineers BAM Nutall, a 5G connection enables workers at the inaccessible site to remain in touch with managers.
In construction, technologies such as 5G broadband enable workers on site to stay in touch, and even conduct site visits remotely, cutting down on hours spent travelling.
New horizons: civil engineers BAM Nutall rely on new technology and connectivity to communicate with workers in remote areas
Logistics
“We’re also seeing quite a big need from transport, logistics, delivery, all those sorts of industries,” says Bhudia.
In transport and logistics, 5G enables drivers on the road to keep in touch, and enables the sensors which allow companies to understand and improve their supply chain, with apps now aiming to bring Uber-style disruption to the logistics sector.
At the port of Felixstowe, 5G sensors enable predictive maintenance and even the operation of cranes by remote control.
For businesses in any sector, connectivity offers the opportunity to market digitally, says Bhudia, and enables businesses to rethink how they communicate with customers and employees.
The road ahead: 5G enables drivers on the road to keep in touch while communicating with customers
Charity
One of Three’s clients facilitates charitable donation collections via mobile connectivity. This is vital as very few people carry cash these days.
The company takes debit card payments and details on the go and on customers’ doorsteps, powered by connectivity from Three.
Bhudia says: “The company is able to capture direct debit details on a tablet which goes directly to a server at their company which is held centrally in a very secure way, directly over a 4G or 5G connection depending on where they are.”
Charitable contributions: with fewer people carrying cash, charities are finding new ways of collecting donations on-the-go thanks to 4G and 5G technology
‘The mobility revolution was already there’
A connectivity-driven operating model can also help cut costs by allowing businesses to switch to virtual ways of working, adds Bhudia.
For SMEs, switching to being ‘virtual’ rather than having a bricks-and-mortar shop office can help to cut costs, and help them to thrive, even in tough economic times.
“The mobility revolution was there before the pandemic. Covid forced employers to embrace it, then the cost-of-living crisis has made it essential,” says Bhudia.
Connectivity is reshaping interactions for just about every small business, she says, from sole traders who previously might have collected payments by hand, through to mechanics who stay in touch with their customers via video call and explain precisely what the problems are.
Businesses in every sector are using connectivity to find new ways to do business, and new customers.
One pub chain which is a customer of Three, switched to delivering beer via online orders during the pandemic, then switched again when customers were able to return to the pub, offering 5G-powered broadband connectivity to remote workers during the day in order to drive business.
Even people who have new business ideas which would have incurred significant hard costs and lead times are using technology to adapt, says Bhudia.
Retailers, for example, are using pop-up shops and virtual stores to avoid the expense of opening a premises.
The rapid adoption of mobile terminals for contactless payments has been central to this change.
Britain is leading the way with adoption of this technology: nine out of ten SMEs now take contactless payments, more than any other country in Europe.
Other retailers are embracing connectivity as a way to create new experiences for customers and reach new audiences.
Revered British brands such as shoemaker Clarks are also embracing the latest technology, with the shoe brand using the metaverse to reach young audiences with extreme-sports games and virtual gigs in 3D online worlds.
The future of business
In the future, brands will reach customers through 3D ‘shared worlds’ online, delivering incredible 3D experiences to consumers - and 5G will help to deliver the metaverse to people’s headsets
Metaverse
Autonomous vehicles need to send and receive huge amounts of data so that they can ‘understand’ the world around them: 5G will enable vehicles to send information to each other for smarter traffic control, saving travel time
Autonomous vehicles
In the near future, glasses and headsets which allow wearers to ‘blend’ reality with virtual features will become common, allowing brands to create powerful new experiences for consumers: 5G will be central to delivering these
Augmented reality
Businesses are already using 5G to gather data from ‘internet of things’ sensors, creating ‘smart farms’ and ‘smart factories’ where everything is connected and monitored - meaning happier animals, safer workers, and more efficient ways to work
Internet of things sensors
How mobile connectivity has reshaped the office
Mobile connectivity has reshaped the modern office, says Leeson Medhurst, head of strategy at office design and build company Peldon Rose
A place to connect: Peldon Rose’s Leeson Medhurst says it’s vital for businesses to invest in up-to-date technology and connectivity
Medhurst says that technologies such as 5G have fundamentally changed the office spaces around us – and that companies now need to think ‘digital first.’
Peldon Rose has designed offices since 1987, and Medhurst says that connectivity is now changing the way businesses work, regardless of their size.
Mobile technology such as 5G enables innovations from new payment solutions, to SMEs working without offices altogether.
Medhurst says: “It’s very important that workplaces invest to ensure their connectivity is up to date. Companies are still playing catch-up. When we create spaces, technology is at the heart of what we do.”
Small businesses employ 61 per cent of workers in Britain’s private sector, according to Government statistics. Mobile connectivity is helping SMEs to operate virtually, set up quickly and avoid the costs of a physical office.
Small business leaders are increasingly aware of the importance of connectivity when it comes to growing their businesses.
More than a third of small business leaders (36 per cent) say they would perform better with a better connection, according to research by YouGov and Three.
“Every organisation can take advantage of connectivity, from sole traders right up to 200 or 300 person companies. It should be embraced,” says Medhurst.
And Three Business has done just that. For British businesses, connectivity has transformed the way they work, enabling new business models and new ways to be more responsive to the customer - as well as making organisations ready to get to grips with the technologies of the future.
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