This article is more than 1 year old

EE wireless keeps small businesses on the move

Mobile internet just gets faster

Sponsored article This article is sponsored by EE.

Wireless connectivity has changed beyond all recognition in the last few years. Today you can access the internet wirelessly just about anywhere above the ground – and in an ever increasing number of places below ground too, it seems.

We are seeing broadband on the move match the sophistication of the mobile devices we use to access the internet.

But there are still a variety of wireless technologies available to access the internet, often depending on network coverage and whether we are on the move or standing still.

So for a small business it makes sense to select one provider which can manage this access and switch between the different technologies to give you the broadest range of working options, whether you are at home, in the office or on the move.

So what are the key technologies, and how do they affect your ability to take full advantage of cloud-based business apps?

Free to roam

2G networks were introduced in the 1990s and are still in use today. They enabled mobile phone networks to offer data services in the form of text and picture messages.

Then when 3G networks were rolled out about 10 years ago they brought with them mobile broadband. Over the past decade we have all grown used to the freedom to access the internet and upload and download data that comes with 3G.

However, 3G does have limitations, especially if you are trying to accomplish anything that requires fast data transfer or streaming. And it is never going to be as fast or as consistent as the broadband speed you achieve with a fixed line.

There is always the temptation to focus on download speeds – the speed at which data moves from the internet to the phone, tablet or PC. But if you are working from home or on the move then upload speeds – the time it takes to upload a file and send it via an email, for example – is every bit as important, and these are slower. Sometimes very much slower.

3G networks carry both voice and data and the UK average speed for 3G is 1.5Mbps. While it may be fine for social media, email, downloading weather forecasts and the like, 3G struggles to cope with the many demands of remote and mobile working.

Then there’s 4G.

Pioneered in the UK by EE, 4G offers true mobile broadband and makes it possible to benefit from all sorts of applications, particularly the sort of business apps EE has in its online store.

With speeds of 60Mbps available, 4G is faster than many fibre broadband options

This would just not be practicable with 3G. With speeds of 60Mbps available, 4G is faster than many fibre broadband options. It means you can stream music and video with no risk of interruption, upload large files, and more importantly for small businesses that increasingly use mobile apps, work in real time or near real time.

And coverage is becoming ubiquitous. EE has the largest 4G network in the UK, with 98 per cent population coverage promised by the end of this year.

EE has also invested £275m this year in improving 11,000 2G sites and doubling the capacity on 7,000 3G sites.

You can check where you fit here.

Voice of reason

Although it is currently used as a data network, with voice traffic being carried on 3G networks, EE is also working on offering voice over 4G (commonly referred to as VoLTE) to customers. Trials are underway and rollout is expected in 2015.

Apple’s iPhone 6 is one of the first mobile handsets to support VoLTE, seen as a significant endorsement of VoLTE as a superior calling mechanism for 4G connected phones.

There are other wireless technologies small businesses looking to get the most out of their handsets and tablets need to bear in mind.

Wi-Fi, for example, is an increasingly common local area wireless technology offer from mobile operators. EE is soon to offer Wi-Fi Calling, which will allow customers to connect to a Wi-Fi network to make calls on those occasions when they have access to Wi-Fi but no mobile reception.

EE says the service will be more reliable than an unmanaged voice-over-IP service such as Skype or Viber because the call will be prioritised. Voice always takes priority over data, making it a “best efforts” service.

EE also offers devices that let customers create their own 4G hotspot with a mobile Wi-Fi device and allow others to connect to the internet.

High five

Mobile technology moves up a generation every 10 years or so. So by 2022 or thereabouts we can expect some 5G networks to be in place in the UK.

Mobile operators are already at work on this technology, not least EE which is a member of the 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey.

In a recent interview with the Daily Telegraph, EE’s chief network architect Professor Andy Sutton said that 5G networks will deliver 1,000 to 5,000 times more capacity than today’s 3G and 4G networks.

It will aim to deliver what the network industry terms “infinite capacity” by always providing enough data capacity for any application.

For small companies looking to level the technological playing field with their bigger competitors, that is really something to look forward to. ®

EE

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news