TECHNOLOGY and telecomms are developing at a rate faster than most businesses can keep up with.
There are few public spaces and buildings that now don’t have access to fast and reliable wifi, and the same is true of business premises and there accessibility to broadband.
In a relatively short space of time, broadband has become the UK’s most popular form of internet connection, used by millions of people across the country.
With dial-ups now largely relegated, and their irritating buzz and beeps no longer plague our land-line calls, broadband has revolutionised both our home and professional life.
Northern Ireland was the first region in Europe to have 100 per cent access to broadband following almost £10 million of European funding, supporting the increased usage across the country.
In recent years this has developed further with the introduction of super-fast broadband which has become integral to Northern Ireland’s economic growth.
The benefits of broadband, super-fast in particular, are many, allowing companies, organisations, and individuals to communicate more effectively and work more efficiently than before.
Team members now have the ability to speak, work and present with colleagues or clients using video or VoIP calls, and are able to do more online even while the rest of the team is working across their connected network.
As already mentioned, this area of technology is evolving at a fantastic pace, so much so that UltraFast broadband has now been given a £150m boost following negotiations between the DUP and Theresa May.
It is encouraging that this digital infrastructure is being invested in, as it will inevitably lead to new opportunities for growth and connectivity for consumers and businesses alike.
There are multiple providers vying for attention and business across NI. Businesses need to ensure that their broadband service, super or ultrafast regardless, has the support when and where it is needed.
Companies are so reliant on this accessibility that even the slightest blip in delivery can upset the apple cart sufficiently to leave you scrambling to pick up said apples for hours…figuratively speaking.
Technical support, customer care and efficient, proactive and diligent account management are all vital to the smooth running of an organisation’s broadband requirements. Otherwise you may as well be listening to the buzzing and the beeps all over again.
:: Eric Carson is director of Northern Ireland's largest independent telecom providers Rainbow (www.rainbowcomms.com) and has been a pioneer of the local telecoms industry for nearly 20 years.
