FINAL WORD
“ I believe the government is focused on this . Looking at the goals in terms of coverage , both at a 4G and 5G level , there ’ s good ambition there . But we can always do more , we can always go faster , we can always go further .”
Small businesses and enhanced connectivity
Providing examples of different types of small businesses , McHugh highlighted how cellular connectivity is often the best option . However , he points out that if you reside in areas where fixed line performance is not particularly high or cost-effective , cellular connectivity should be considered . And if you ’ re very distributed or provide a service to a distributed customer base , then cellular connectivity and centralised management of networking could be a good option for you , he believes .
Addressing the UK skills shortage
Just under a third ( 32 %) of UK businesses cite that a lack of digital skills is holding them back from deploying their own cellular networks . For any organisation , the task of managing their own network is not a trivial matter – so much so that we see organisations who specialise in delivering , managing and maintaining networks for organisations .
The vulnerability of IoT devices
According to a report published last year , 26 % of network attacks against European businesses came from compromised IoT devices .
In many cases , IoT technology and IoT applications are the weakest point of defence for an organisation and therefore an attractive access point for attackers . Concerningly , they are also very commonplace .
“ Ericsson is just one organisation that has recognised the convergence of networking and security and as a consequence has developed a Secure Access , Secure Edge ( SASE ) offering ,” said McHugh . “ It ’ s not enough today to offer high-performing , reliable networks – they have to be secure .”
SASE , he said , provides security at the access points of a network . All of the value , but also all of the vulnerability , of a network is at the edge ; so having a secure edge is absolutely key .
Using cellular networks for backup support
A cellular network is run completely separately from the primary network and therefore offers resilience .
“ Unless you ’ ve got a huge amount of resource available to you within your own organisation to embark on that mission to deliver and manage a network , I would always consider consulting with providers who specialise in it ,” McHugh commented .
McHugh explained : “ If an organisation is running its primary network using fixed line connectivity , there is a possibility that two or even three of these fixed lines terminate at the same local exchange . If so , when there is a failure at that point , you have no resilience .”
According to a report published last year , 26 % of network attacks against European businesses came from compromised IoT devices .
However , organisations are hesitant in deploying this system as any backup or failover connectivity is expensive . When it ’ s sat idle , waiting for a failure , it ’ s costing money but not delivering value .
Expected trends that could impact cellular connectivity investment
“ The big buzz in the tech space at the moment is AI ,” McHugh said . “ Our experience of AI suggests that it ’ s another example of a new technology with a significant networking dependency . To enable this technology to perform at a high level , new ideas and new considerations need to be made about networking connectivity .”
In addition , McHugh highlighted connectivity for vehicles is also in demand . “ There are a variety of commercial vehicles that have a large networking dependency – whether it ’ s roadside assistance , fleet vehicles , utility vehicles , haulage vehicles or public transportation .” p
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