Alternative connectivity for home working.
Businesses have had to find ways to adapt in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Keeping business running when offices have closed means there is more reliance on additional means of connectivity. Staff have relied on their home broadband connections to facilitate their work. However, this can present challenges to connectivity in the home; with each household device (TV, games console, even some smart washing machines!) all vying for the bandwidth for competing purposes. That is why it is a good idea to explore additional and alternative means for an internet connection to ensure that business can continue regardless of any dip in home broadband connectivity.
What is Mobile Broadband?
Unlike regular broadband, 4G & 5G broadband operates through airwaves instead of cables. Similar to how smartphone mobile data works; however, these are data only sims that connect through a router or dongle. These dongles and routers can then connect up to 64 devices with mobile Wi-Fi. There is no set-up process required. Just plug in the router, and your internet is ready to go. While the 4G network is widely available across the UK, we are seeing an increase in 5G availability across many major UK cities; promising to bring faster speeds and better latency than ever before.
What are the advantages of Mobile Broadband?
The main advantage that 4G & 5G broadband offers is flexibility. There are more options for contract length and pricing than ever before, meaning that you can take control of your bills. More importantly, mobile connections are portable, and you can take it wherever you take your laptop or tablet.
Mobile connections are also ideal for areas that have poor fixed-line speeds but good 4G coverage. Where home ADSL may struggle to cope with an increasing demand for cloud business applications and video calls, you might find that a 4G connection manages home working perfectly.
Many 4G & 5G broadband deals are capped, with overage becoming very expensive should you use more than your limit. That's where we can help. Our mobile broadband deals include unlimited tariffs and options such as Unlimited Data Flex, where you pay £2 per GB, only for the data that you use.
Are 4G & 5G connections reliable for business use?
While 4G broadband can be faster, they have been traditionally more unreliable than fixed lines. Speeds aren't necessarily always going to be the same everywhere. So, it's essential to know the coverage in your area. However, growth in the mobile network over recent years and the expansion of the 5G network, means that coverage is becoming increasingly faster and more reliable all the time. In many cases, 4G broadband performs better than home broadband. With a dedicated 4G or 5G connection for home working, you can stop sharing bandwidth with the rest of your household, and significantly reduce the chance of dropping out of that vital video call because your kids are watching Netflix!
To find out more about mobile broadband at home, and to see what's available in your area, fill out the form below, contact our expert sales team sales@soconnect.co.uk or call us on 0333 240 1824