Why full fibre is a game changer for your business

What does full-fibre mean for my business?

Here’s our handy guide to the full-fibre future and what it could mean for small and medium-sized businesses.

High-performance connectivity. It’s a vital asset for every business in today’s technology-driven world. We rely on the internet for so much of what we do at work – from engaging with customers and colleagues to working in the Cloud. You need a broadband connection that’s up to the job.

Most SMEs currently get their internet via ADSL copper wires or a hybrid service which starts with fibre, but delivers the final connectivity to their premises through copper. Now that’s all going to change because the old copper network, known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), is going to be switched off.

From September 2023, BT is bringing in a PSTN ‘stop-sell’, which means you won’t be able to order new line installations. By 2025, the network will be completely shut down, so by then every business will need to have made alternative connectivity arrangements. Find out more in our previous blogs here and here.

What does this mean for your business? It’s time to think about switching to full fibre connectivity. What’s more, it makes sense to act sooner rather than later. Full fibre is being rolled out rapidly across the UK, so if it’s not available where you are right now, you shouldn’t have too long to wait.

Switching as soon as you can not only means future-proofing your business. It’s also the gateway to an exciting new world in which advanced digital communications and smarter working can deliver business transformation. With hosted communications and cloud computing, you’ll be able to work and collaborate more effectively and efficiency, delivering better service to your customers, improving productivity and boosting your bottom line.

What is full fibre?

Also known as Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), full fibre does what it says on the tin. Fibre optic cable carries the broadband all the way into your office, warehouse or production facility. That means it’s capable of carrying data at much faster speeds, not to mention being much more resilient and reliable. Unlike copper, fibre optic cable isn’t affected by external forces such as bad weather or interference.

The headline-grabbing benefit of full fibre is superfast speed of up to one gigabit. However, that’s just the part of the story. It’s also about having the power to make the most of hosted communications and cloud-based apps. Recent research by the Cloud Industry Forum found that 93% of senior IT and business decision-makers surveyed said that cloud computing is important to their company’s digital transformation strategy.

Full fibre has what it takes to run the kind of bandwidth-hungry applications that can empower smarter working, from communication and collaboration tools such as video calling to high-capacity file sharing and storage apps. It also provides a strong platform for businesses to add over-the-top services, such as voice and security.

The homeworking revolution

We’re all aware of the massive increase in home and hybrid working. Reliable connectivity is vital to this major change in working practices, giving homeworkers the capability to work just as efficiently, productively and securely, whether they’re hot-desking in the office or operating remotely.

Creating a better customer experience
It’s not just your staff that benefit from the speed and power of full fibre. You can also up your game when it comes to customer service. Hosted communications enable you to handle customer interactions more efficiently and effectively, with handy tools such as instant messaging and call diversion from landlines to mobiles.

Enabling small businesses to think big
For many SMEs, full fibre can be truly transformative, enabling them to compete in a bigger league and open up new markets. For example, a small clothes retailer in Suffolk no longer has to rely mainly on selling to a local catchment. With the power of superfast internet, they can reliably target a much wider audience, across the UK, maybe even globally.

Now’s the time…
At Cambridge Telecom we can help you transform your business with full fibre connectivity. Even if your contract has a while to run, it makes sense to start thinking about the switch to digital right now. The benefits speak for themselves and you’ll be one step ahead of the PSTN switch-off, saving potential disruption when that happens. If full fibre isn’t available in your area right now, we can keep you up-dated, so that you can make the move at the earliest opportunity.

Call our sales team on 01223 661636 or email enquiries@cambridgetelecom.com

 

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The Transformational Impact of Cloud 2022. Research report by The Cloud Industry Forum