// NEWS //
More than a million UK SMEs are missing out on full-fibre broadband, new research finds
New analysis of national broadband coverage data by the
Uswitch business broadband comparison experts reveals stark regional disparities in non-residential full-fibre access. For example, while 97.4 % of business premises in Nottingham can access full-fibre connectivity, coverage drops to just 8.6 % in Harlow.
Of the UK’ s 3.17 million SMEs, around 2.16 million have full-fibre broadband access. But that leaves roughly 1.01 million, nearly one in three, still reliant on slower, less reliable connections, potentially putting growth and efficiency at risk.
At the top of the scale, Buckinghamshire has 33,465 SMEs, of which an estimated 16,972 are likely without full-fibre broadband; Cornwall follows with 29,645 SMEs and around 15,453 likely lacking full-fibre access; and North Yorkshire has 37,090 SMEs, approximately 14,941 of which are likely not to have full-fibre connectivity, which could affect productivity and competitiveness.
Max Beckett, Uswitch business broadband comparison expert, shares his top tips:
1. Match speed to business needs: Start by assessing how your team actually uses the Internet. There’ s no need to overspend on speeds you won’ t use.
2. Consider the number of employees: Slower packages may be enough for small businesses with only a handful of employees using the Internet for basic tasks like online browsing, email and research. 3. Optimise your set-up: Place routers centrally, limit interference and consider business-grade equipment. 4. Avoid broadband bottlenecks: Use network management tools to monitor, control and optimise your network.
Cloudflare and Mastercard partner to extend comprehensive cyber defence across critical infrastructure and small businesses
Cloudflare, a leading connectivity cloud company, and Mastercard Incorporated have announced a strategic partnership with the intent to develop tools to help small businesses, critical infrastructure and governments protect themselves from today’ s most pressing cyberthreats without putting the brakes on innovation.
Attack surface monitoring capabilities from Mastercard’ s Recorded Future and RiskRecon, paired with Cloudflare’ s Application Security portfolio, will be designed to allow millions of organisations to defend against the risks posed by an increasingly interconnected digital world. From one unified solution, users will gain the ability to map, prioritise and automate swift remediation of hidden risks across their Internetfacing environments.
Emerging technologies and tools pose opportunities for organisations to innovate at speed and find creative ways to scale their businesses. But as new vendors, outsourced services, shadow IT and legacy systems are layered into business environments, the attack surface becomes unknown and security teams are often left in the dark. This presents a potential visibility gap that could allow threat actors to gain the upper hand. Organisations now require cyberdefence that allows them to innovate as fast as they want, with the necessary safeguards in place to protect critical information. �
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