The UK is one of the leading tech hubs globally that is focused on innovation but is still limited by slow connectivity and poor network infrastructure. Incumbents and alternative providers alike are now investing heavily in the rollout of full fibre Internet in the UK. But is it enough and are organisations taking full advantage?
The UK is ranked third in a global list for innovation, disruption and technology according to KPMG, a global network of professional services firms. In their 2019 Technology Innovation Hub report, the UK is one of the top countries expected to produce some of the most disruptive technologies.
Research by KPMG found that more than $7.7 billion was invested in UK start-ups over the course of 2018, more than 1.5 times the level invested in fast growth businesses in Germany, and 2.6 times the levels of investment seen by the start-up ecosystem in France.
Still, Fibre to the Premises/Home (FTTP/H) or Fibre to the Building (FTTB) connection in the UK ranks one of the lowest in Europe. Reliable and fast connectivity builds the foundation for individuals and organisations to work, live and socialise better.
FTTH/B penetration rates of European countries at September 2018 (Source: IDATE for FTTH Council EUROPE)
Fortunately, growing tech hubs across the UK are driving long-term benefits including investments in modern infrastructure. Openreach recently announced its plans to cover three million homes with full fibre technology by 2020. Plus leading alternative providers such as CityFibre have also secured £2.5bn investment to expand its fibre network and connect over five million premises to full fibre.
With rising investment in connectivity, businesses and individuals today have a huge opportunity to transform the way they operate and live day-to-day. According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2018 report, while 94% of UK homes and businesses are in areas where superfast, or better, broadband is available, only 45% of premises are subscribing to these services.
For businesses, moving to ultrafast fibre networks mean they no longer have to be reliant on slow copper connections that struggle to keep up with the rising data demands in their organisation. Much higher bandwidths also mean that fast-growing companies can easily cope with new employees and increased usage.
Ultimately, fibre enables organisations to seamlessly connect onsite and offsite staff, communicate around the world with no latency and deliver their products and services faster and more efficiently. Ultrafast connectivity is enabling businesses to cut costs and stay focused on innovating with technology.
The future of fibre connectivity is reliant on partners that can bring together national carriers and networks to serve the UK. At Giganet, we’ve strategically partnered with leading carriers including CityFibre, Colt, Entanet, Openreach, SSE, Sky, TalkTalk Business, BT Wholesale, Virgin Media Business, Virtual1, Vodafone and more to help businesses across the UK move to full fibre. As well as these key relationships, as an ISP, our technology is backed by award-winning service and SLAs.
If you’re interested in finding out how M12 and Giganet are supporting the UK tech hub with unbeatable Internet connectivity, get in touch.
