Enterprise Connectivity Matters (request research report)
Office-based mobile signal issues are causing lost sales, wasting employees’ time and damaging businesses’ reputation
UK businesses’ bottom lines are suffering due to office-based mobile signal issues, finds new research conducted for network service provider the Freshwave Group.
Ninety-seven per cent of companies report mobile signal issues in their offices, with most acknowledging serious knock on effects:
- 72% experience negative effects related to their employees, such as wasted productivity, lower morale and complaints.
- 70% report lost sales revenue or direct costs (other than wasted time).
- 52% believe client satisfaction suffers or that the business incurs reputational damage.
The research, which surveyed 500 senior business leaders of UK companies with 100-500 employees, found that 67% experience these issues daily. Yet 87% believe mobile signal to be business critical or highly important today, and 94% believe that it will be even more important in two years.
Meanwhile almost all organisations (96%) reported at least occasional problems with their Wi-Fi connectivity. While two thirds believe that their businesses are critically affected within an hour of losing all digital connectivity*.
Simon Frumkin, CEO of the Freshwave Group, comments: “Business leaders understand that there’s a growing need for reliable mobile signal at work. In fact, our research showed that 62% of companies at least partially fall back on mobile networks if their broadband or Wi-Fi connectivity fails. It’s especially important that resilience is built into firms’ connectivity if they want to keep everything running smoothly.”
In the offices that experience mobile signal issues every day or almost every day, the three most common problems are:
- no coverage or a permanent signal dead zone in parts of the office (69%),
- missed call notifications even when the mobile hasn’t rung (53%),
- and dropped mobile phone calls (51%).
Almost all companies surveyed (93%) have looked into improving their digital connectivity, either Wi-Fi or mobile. With 39% planning to invest specifically in solving their mobile signal issues within the next two years, and another 49% considering it.
Shaun Collins, CEO at CCS Insight, comments: “This research reinforces what we found in our annual “IT Decision-Maker Workplace Technology Survey 2019”; connectivity is second only to security concerns in terms of senior decision maker’s priorities over the next 18 months. With almost all respondents (92%) understanding that poor mobile signal inside is often caused by a building’s design, structure or location; it’s clear that senior business leaders are well informed because the issue matters to them.”
Simon Frumkin adds: “Although currently a common issue, we agree that an hour is too long to go without a connection. Like any other critical utility, we deliver mobile signal indoors as a managed service. With 24/7 support, businesses have seen an immediate return on investment while also future-proofing their operations.”
*Digital connectivity encompasses WiFi, fixed broadband, mobile connectivity and fixed telephone lines.
About the research
CCS Insight surveyed 500 chief executive officers, general managers, owners, chief information officers, chief technology officers and senior IT-decision makers of UK enterprises with 100-500 employees and with more than 50% of the workforce based in an office. Fieldwork was carried out using an online survey 6th-18th December 2019.