Large organisations are among the early adopters of 4G mobile services, reports EE, the UK’s most advanced digital communications company. Three months after the company launched the UK’s first superfast 4G network, EE has signed up or is piloting 4G with multiple organisations, including Addison Lee, Foxtons, Gatwick Airport, Kier, Microsoft, Morrisons, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Sony Music, TNT Post and Urban Outfitters.
EE has set aggressive targets to bring 4G to more than 65 towns and cities by June 2013 (representing more than half the UK population), in a bid to boost productivity and innovation, and to cut costs for businesses in Britain. In the UK, six out of ten businesses (64%) are planning to roll out 4G within six months, according to a recent study by Arthur D. Little in association with EE 1. Once 4G has been introduced, more than three quarters (76%) of UK businesses are then looking to increase mobile working among employees.
These findings are supported by early adopters of 4G technology, such as Kier, Microsoft, Foxtons and Addison Lee. Kier is trialling 4G to reduce the set-up time for remote construction sites and to enable its design teams to work on-site. Once the trial is complete, Kier will look to roll out 4G across its sites as an alternative to traditional fixed connections.
Microsoft is also trialling the technology to see how 4G can provide business continuity for its mobile workforce, either by tethering to tablets or as a backup to Wi-Fi. Foxtons, London’s leading estate agency, is using 4G to allow its agents to update the Foxtons property database remotely, while London’s largest private taxi firm, Addison Lee, is testing 4G as a way to improve the passenger experience by offering an in-car superfast internet service.
Olaf Swantee, Chief Executive Officer, EE, said:
“To see UK businesses already benefitting from 4G after such a short time is great news. Demand from small, medium, large and public sector organisations across the nation has been very positive since we launched 4GEE. We’re proud to be already powering some of Britain’s biggest and best known companies and are committed to delivering a superfast connection to many more by the end of this year.”
Internationally, companies in the US, Europe and Japan have already capitalised on the benefits that 4G brings, according to Arthur D. Little. In the US, for example, 86% of 4G-enabled businesses say they each save 33 hours a week on average. Nearly half (47%) say 4G has saved their organisation money, with one company saying it has saved $100,000 (£62,000) so far with 4G.
