The Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) have found that small and medium enterprises (SME’s) need a more in-depth, analytical strategy to enable broadband connectivity is the government’s plans to create a “Northern Giant” are to come true.
There are two main obstacles facing SME’s when trying to achieve their potential online. Firstly, many SME’s still lack access to high speed, good quality broadband and were not a priority in the current roll-out. Secondly many users lacked the knowledge and skills required to take full advantage of being online. Until these issues are resolved, the northern economy will be left behind as the rest of the country flourishes.
In 2015, the government launched, what resulted in, the very successful broadband connection voucher scheme which allowed SME’s access to superfast broadband at affordable prices. IPPR has called for local authorities to reinstate this scheme locally, and has urged the government to make superfast broadband available to business parks and enterprise zones as a priority.
Phil Sorsky, international vice president at Commscope said that he supports the IPPR’s ideas “Successive UK governments have ensured that the country is one of the most competitive environments in the world. To unlock digital growth, the UK government must ensure all areas of the country have access to fibre cabling, enabling superfast connectivity and global performance for businesses, wherever they’re located. By ensuring that all businesses in the north, regardless of their size, have access to the reliable and seamless connectivity they need to succeed, the government will be one step closer to achieving its goal of creating a Northern Powerhouse,”
The economic benefits of SME’s being online are clear, and the IPPR have insisted the government prioritise SME’s and business parks over residential addresses. Whilst the SME’s themselves need to invest in training and developing digital skills so that they are ready to make the most of being onlne.
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