- SMBs suffer due to unreliable Wi-Fi connectivity
- Small businesses in the UK lose an average of 11 hours a week to Wi-Fi disruption
- Almost half (47%) of business leaders said they would feel more secure if they could improve connection reliability
Small businesses are experiencing major productivity problems due to disruptions caused by their Wi-Fi connection, new research has claimed.
The findings from Zen Internet claim that small businesses lose an average of 11 hours per week due to connectivity issues.
And this isn’t just a minor annoyance or loss of network — nearly 4 in 10 SMBs say the issues are directly costing them revenue.
Wi-Fi causes problems
The scale of the problem was perhaps best reflected by the finding that nearly half (47%) of business executives surveyed for the report said they would feel more confident about their business’s success if they could improve connection reliability.
Half of senior business decision makers said poor Wi-Fi coverage inside their premises limits the value they get from broadband connectivity, while 39% say connectivity issues directly cause lost revenue.
“We often talk about productivity in terms of skills, investment and innovation, but digital reliability has become just as fundamental,” noted Jon Nowell, managing director of Zen’s business division.
“For many SMEs, poor internal connectivity is now a hidden operating cost. If businesses are expected to modernize and grow, the technology experience in offices, retail spaces and hospitality venues must also keep up.”
The survey also found that connectivity issues affected the day-to-day running of a business, with 23% saying that connectivity disruptions affect communication with customers or suppliers.
A similar amount (22%) say it directly slows down operations, 21% said it disrupts digital payments, and 22% said it contributes to lost sales or missed opportunities.
“Small businesses are under pressure to work faster, serve customers seamlessly and rely more on cloud-based systems, digital payments and connected devices than ever before,” Nowell added.
“But too many businesses still have a disconnect between the broadband coming into the building and the actual experience staff and customers get day to day.”
“You can have access to full fiber, but if WiFi inside the premises is not reliable, businesses still lose productivity, sales opportunities and operational efficiency.”
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