intelligent

The end result is that SMEs receive a slow and poor quality service that is inconvenient and they just have to make do . It has also increased the divide between cities and rural areas , where the former receive a faster and better service , while their counterparts continue to lag further behind .

Government pledge

Despite all these problems , however , there are some viable solutions for SMEs . The first is the UK government ’ s £ 5 billion pledge to provide the 20 % of the country which is currently underserved by high-speed broadband with gigabit broadband , giving them 1Gbps download speeds .

In its manifesto , the government has committed to supplying a minimum of 85 % of premises with gigabit broadband by 2025 . Its target is to achieve 100 % by 2030 , which , if everything goes according to plan , should be easily obtainable in that timeframe .

Openreach , meanwhile , is continuing to build its full fibre network , making gigabit broadband available to 43,000 homes and businesses every week . Its aim was to provide four million homes and businesses with full fibre by the end of March 2021 , taking on 3,500 new trainee engineers to get the job done .

Also , SMEs stand to benefit from falling prices , with the cost of traditional leased lines declining in recent years , especially

in highly populated areas . As high-speed broadband becomes more widely available , the expectation is that prices should also start to decrease across the board .

Faster mobile broadband

Simultaneously , mobile broadband quality and speed have improved significantly . So much so , that the UK now ranks as the 26th fastest mobile data speed , a recent study has revealed , putting it ahead of technologically advanced countries such as Belgium , France , Germany and Japan , and just behind leaders like Finland .

With 5G becoming the new connectivity of choice , that puts Britain in a strong position moving forward . Greater investment in the technology will only result in faster available Internet speeds and another advantage is that it ’ s easy to upgrade .

Further ahead , with 6G expected to start being rolled out around 2030 , providing speeds up to 1Tbps , the UK is well placed to lead the way . By continuing to capitalise on these kinds of opportunities , it can ensure that SMEs across the country receive the high-speed broadband they deserve and require . �

SMES STAND TO BENEFIT FROM FALLING PRICES , WITH THE COST OF TRADITIONAL LEASED LINES DECLINING IN RECENT YEARS .