Building a Resilient, Inclusive Digital Future for Business

Connectivity isn’t just beneficial, it’s a necessary part of doing business. And it’s not just for the UK’s large enterprises. It’s for every business and every community.  

But what does a resilient, inclusive digital future for business look like? We see it breaking down into three key areas:

Every business having the knowledge and insight to purchase the connectivity that’s right for them, with a full understanding of the different types of ‘business connectivity’ and how each will impact their business.

Every local council having a connectivity provider that will give them a reliable service and help them develop over the top services that bring benefits to every business and resident, and boost the local economy.

The UK economy seeing productivity growth through improved quality of connectivity, and our cities boasting world-class connectivity that can drive our strengths in finance, healthcare, education and the wider information economy.

For UK businesses, public services, and local councils, reliable internet access underpins economic stability, inclusion, and growth. And a report from Three UK in October 2024 found that 97% of SMEs said a reliable internet connection was important for their business.

Yet, recent research from YouGov and Assembly Research commissioned by Vorboss reveals that more than 50% of UK businesses experienced at least one internet outage in the past year, and almost a fifth (19%) experienced three or more. The result was an average loss of more than £11,000 in economic output per business. That figure rises to over £18,500 for London businesses.

These figures tell a story about the disconnect between the value placed on connectivity and the investment placed into it – both on behalf of networks and buyers.

To achieve a resilient, inclusive digital future, we need to see a focus on educating business connectivity buyers. It’s vital to know the difference between a business connectivity plan that’s just a residential broadband plan in a business wrapper, and a dedicated line that will ensure they always have a connection that delivers.

For local councils, it’s important that public sector tenders are willing to look at longer contracts that encourage meaningful investment from connectivity providers, and the ability to think beyond bits and bytes. That will enable the real benefits of internet access to be delivered, and used to enhance the lives of citizens.

For the economy, we need improvement in the general standard of fibre networks. So we need to think about incentivising the quality of our networks and improving overall resilience.

This is about shifting to a world where connectivity is reliable, and businesses are empowered. When connectivity is reliable by design, we can rely on a steady foundation that enables long-term digital development for everyone.

This approach, anchored in resilience and inclusion, ensures that connectivity is a tool for opportunity and economic growth – for everyone. That’s a resilient, inclusive digital future.

Exploring the Potential of Future Telecoms

Visit our Future Telecoms Hub to learn more or to register for regular updates.

Future Telecoms is techUK’s exploration of what the connectivity of tomorrow will look like. We will highlight the criticality of communications to our future prosperity and economic growth, and how the future telecoms ecosystem acts as the engine of innovation. Visit our Future Telecoms Hub to learn more or to register for regular updates.

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