O2's 4G roll out is 'good news' for SMEs

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the UK are likely to benefit from the forthcoming rollout of 4G connectivity, as it could help enhance the training they offer employees.

On September 27th, the next phase of O2's super-fast broadband launch will get underway, with companies in Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry, Sheffield and Birmingham set to receive a boost in their internet speeds.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Ronan Dunne, chief executive of O2 Telefonica UK, said SMBs could benefit more quickly from 4G speeds than larger companies where the adoption rate is often quite slow.

According to Mr Dunne, for the digital economy to be established three things are required - great digital infrastructure, digital literacy and the ability to bring technology to life through products and services.

"One of the essential ingredients that's been missing from the digital economy, which is really ubiquitous, any time, any place, anywhere access to high speed data, is now being addressed by 4G," he added.

This means that a greater number of firms will be able to offer their staff a more unique and creative online experience, allowing employers to deliver effective training on the move if necessary.

Mr Dunne remarked that due to the UK's commitment to bringing super-fast broadband to companies nationwide, it will be able to compete with other European countries that launched 4G earlier,

He was quoted as saying: "A business in Yorkshire can be competing with businesses anywhere else in the UK, but can also compete with businesses anywhere else in the world by being online and having great connectivity."

EE is already ahead of O2 in its 4G offerings, having been rolling the connectivity out across the country since August 2012. Meanwhile, Vodafone is going to be launching the service in five more cities on September 28th.

By Christmas, O2 is hoping to make 4G available in 13 cities and to 30 per cent of the population, despite the fact EE is now offering the service in more than 100 UK towns and cities.