Technology and how we use it is evolving rapidly but Norfolk’s digital and mobile infrastructure needs to keep pace. Norfolk Chamber is keen to ensure that both our digital and mobile infrastructure are fit for purpose and that our business community is ready to take advantage of new technology developments as they evolve.
Greater mobile coverage is needed to provide better reliability. This includes erecting more mobile signal masts and creating a simplified planning process to gain the necessary permissions. Another simple solution to improve existing coverage would be to allow mobile roaming across the existing network providers.
Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber said: “Norfolk Chamber wants to ensure that our business community is able to take advantage of new technology developments as they evolve and one of those key areas is the rise in the mobile office and the need by more business people to do business on the move. To do this we need more investment in our mobile signal infrastructure and changes in how the service providers operate i.e. roaming signals.”
A network of providers ensures that the majority of Norfolk receives mobile signal coverage but no one provider can deliver a high percentage of overall signal coverage across the county.
At present the providers do not allow seamless roaming between their networks – so every business user, no matter which network provides their service, suffers from unreliable mobile signal coverage in Norfolk.
A recent British Chambers of Commerce survey showed that 83% of Norfolk business users experienced ‘not spots’, 43% had access to 4G, and more concerning, 11% of business users still only had access to 2G – voice calls only with no internet or data.
Neil Orford, President of Great Yarmouth Chamber Council and Partner at Lovewell Blake,said: “If we wish to be seen as a place to do business, we must continue to press for improvement in the service provided.”
Whilst approximately 86% of Norfolk has access to 24mbps, a recent British Chambers of Commerce survey, reported that the Norfolk business community still thought that Norfolk’s digital infrastructure was not yet totally fit for purpose.
Lynsey Sweales, a Norfolk Chamber Board Member and Director of Social B, said: “A reliable broadband connection is absolutely vital for all companies, yet 20% of Norfolk companies suffer from unreliable connections. The focus of the Government must be on providing businesses with sufficient and reliable broadband connections to enable to them to do business confidently.”
The British Chambers survey showed that with more reliable connections Norfolk businesses could do more. More than half of businesses (54%) said that if the reliability of their broadband connection was improved it would allow them to use more applications, particularly cloud-based services (24%), transfer of large files (16%), and remote server access for employees (14%).
Paul Grenyer, CEO atNorwich-based Naked Element,said: “My issue is with mobile signals when I am out and about in the county, which I do quite a bit because I like to go to see clients. Reception is very sporadic. I use the train because I like to work but the other day I went from Yarmouth to Norwich and I only had reception for 60 per cent of the time, which means that it is dead time. It is frustrating and it needs to improve.”
David Manning, Managing Director of MIGSOLV, which delivers The Gatehouse >You can read the Norfolk Voice magazine online.
