Techies expect improved connectivity to create a 19% hike in revenues

The survey was conducted by Censuswide, and canvassed 2,500 technology decision makers in business owner, C-level executive or senior manager roles across the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy.

It also found that 22% of these surveyed technology decision makers expected to enjoy a revenue hikes of up to 29% as a result of ‘improved connectivity’ – which it has to be said in and of itself is a pretty vague term.

In the UK, 47% said 5G was the technology most vital to the UK maintaining its position as ‘a leading tech powerhouse’ (another vague term). This was ahead of other technologies such as the metaverse (32%), robotics and automation (30%), 3D printing (29%), and AI (8%).

32% citied a lack of digital skills as the reason ‘firms are being held back from deploying their own cellular networks’, while 25% said the complexity of change was a key hurdle.

68% of firms believe that overall investment in wireless connectivity is still too low, 62% believe this has a negative effect on public transport, while 59% believe poor connectivity is preventing students from ‘developing the skills they need to succeed in a modern world.’

“Despite the fact the benefits of cellular networks are becoming more understood, it is clear from our research that there is still a lot of work do if businesses are to unlock their full potential,” said James Bristow, SVP EMEA at Cradlepoint. “Our data shows security risks, concerns over complexity and a lack of skills remain key concerns for organisations keen to explore this technology more acutely.

“However, by working with the right providers who can supply the expertise and skills that they lack, businesses can start to overcome some of these obstacles. Likewise, by identifying cellular networks that are secure, quick and easy to install, organisations can safely deploy new technology, without increasing the risk to their infrastructure. Greater collaboration between industry leaders and tech partners could fuel even more economic growth and help our nation continue to compete on the global tech stage.”

Whenever a firm produces a survey it comes with the usual caveat that of course the solution to the presented problem just so happens to be the sort of thing it can sell you – but you can still gleam some data points from them.

One thing to note, for instance, was the apparent low standing respondents placed AI as a driver for the UK maintaining its position as ‘a leading tech powerhouse’– which considering the unrelenting deluge of announcements about how game-changing it will be seems surprising, certainly as its listed below the floundering metaverse sector.