Top 5 ways to power business performance with 5G

Medium-sized businesses pack a punch, accounting for around 1.5% of all businesses but 13.1% of employment [1], and outperforming [2] FTSE and smaller businesses.

But despite the important role they play, 25% of medium-sized business owners say government support is insufficient. With this in mind, many are looking for ways to dial up performance and drive growth by themselves.

For some, investing in employee training and development is the answer, as a skilled and motivated workforce is an efficient workforce. For others, the question of improving business performance is more complex – involving a mixture of process analysis and strategic planning. 

Acting as the backbone of efficient operations, the right connectivity can enable seamless communication, real-time data access, agile decision-making, and even some exciting innovation.

Of course, the hot topic in the current connectivity world is 5G. It’s worth remembering – 5G isn’t simply an upgrade of 4G. It’s completely different tech. Up to 100 times faster [3] with much lower latency and far higher resolution capabilities than its predecessors, 5G serves as an excellent communication and collaboration infrastructure.

Let’s take a look at how businesses can fuel greater performance with connectivity, by focusing on 5G. We’ll start with some of the more straightforward applications of 5G – before counting down to some of the more exciting, future-facing possibilities.

59% of SME owners [4] agree that good connectivity is essential to the smooth running of their business. 

Let’s get things started. In the world of hybrid working, seamless communication and effortless collaboration are king – with strong mobile connectivity being especially helpful for teams on the go. The latest generation of wireless communication offers just that – meaning teams can say goodbye to glitchy virtual meetings.

This is important, as virtual meetings riddled with tech issues can leave team members frustrated and tired. More than this, out-of-sync video call comms can contribute to the dreaded ‘Zoom fatigue’ – a workplace malady familiar to 42% of US/UK remote workers [5], since the pandemic started.

Thanks to super-fast data speeds and ultra-low latency, when one person speaks in a 5G-powered virtual meeting, the other participants hear them in real time – just as if they’re in the room. As well as this, you’ll be able to see your teammates better too. 5G video conferencing enables 4K video conferencing – four times the number of pixels as a standard 1080p display.

With the right connectivity in place, it doesn’t matter where you’re working. If you want to take a video call from the office or while on a walk – the quality will be razor sharp and crystal clear.

Next up, something that’s key for many businesses: customer support. According to Zendesk, 64% of business leaders [6] say customer service has a positive impact on their company’s growth. Now, many businesses know customer support agents work best on a hybrid basis, and have implemented flexible working as standard.

Whether working from home or in a call centre, 5G’s lightning-fast data speeds mean employees can access customer files more easily, allowing them to respond to inquiries when they want, with accuracy. The low latency of 5G ensures that employee-customer interactions are smooth and immediate – leading to enhanced satisfaction for both team members and customers.

5G-enabled tech also has the power to implement customer relationship management systems, chatbots and analytics platforms. These integrations optimise processes, streamline customer support agents’ workflows and minimise stress.

64% of business leaders say customer service has a positive impact on their company’s growth.

Here’s one for your people. With the help of 5G-powered devices, employees won’t have to worry about finding Wi-Fi. Instead, they’ll experience much less downtime and will be able to work whenever and wherever they want to.

This will be particularly beneficial for businesses operating in construction, architecture and facilities management, where project management apps are now an essential part of the working day. On top of this, thanks to the high data speeds of 5G, employees will find they’re able to download and upload large files quickly. In this way, they’ll be able to work together seamlessly on multimedia content too.

For businesses, there’s also the option of implementing 5G-powered augmented reality (AR) solutions, which can be leveraged for innovative training and presentations. With minimal time lag and ultra-high definition, 5G-powered AR makes for immersive, engaging and effective virtual environments.

While 5G-powered AR training experiences might sound like a futuristic application of 5G, the technology is actually already here, and many are already leveraging this tech. According to a recent study, 40% of small and medium-sized businesses use AR and VR for training [7].

VR and AR Training in small and medium businesses:

40% of small and medium-sized businesses use AR and VR for training.

Businesses can’t boost their performance if they don’t know how they’re performing. This is where analytics and reporting come in – an area that can be greatly helped by 5G.

Thanks to 5G’s low latency and high data speeds, businesses can analyse data in real time – allowing for faster and more informed decision-making. Even better, 5G has the capacity to handle a large number of connected devices. This means businesses can collect and analyse much larger volumes of data than with 4G.

Such speedy data analysis comes with a number of benefits for businesses. With 5G-powered data analysis tools, sales reps can access up-to-date customer data such as purchase history and preferences. This enables them to tailor their pitches and make accurate recommendations suited to individual customers’ needs. Rapid data analysis can also lead to precise trend identification, as well as the ability to capitalise on emerging opportunities promptly. This agility gives businesses a real competitive advantage.

Elsewhere, manufacturing businesses can leverage data analysis for predictive maintenance – saving significant time and money. This is what Mazak – a machine tool factory in Worcester, has done – as has Ford, and there’s no reason why medium-sized businesses can’t follow suit.

All of these benefits lead us to the most desired outcome: faster and smarter 5G-enabled businesses. With 5G underpinning operations, businesses can unlock the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) – a network of devices (embedded with sensors and software) that connect and exchange data over the internet.

The opportunities afforded IoT are almost endless. In retail, 5G-powered sensors can accurately detect stock levels, helping teams improve inventory management and overall operational efficiency. On top of this, sensors can provide real-time insight into customer behaviour within retail spaces – highlighting key dwell spaces so retailers can optimise shop layouts.

In the security world, IoT devices bolster safety and streamline processes. For example, facilities management specialist 3RiO recently implemented 5G-powered body cameras. Worn as part of the 3RiO uniform, these cameras automatically send footage to management – eliminating the need for manual process.

"The ability to transmit data via 5G and not spend a day on the road collecting it is fantastic."

Malachy Lynn, 3Rio Managing Director

5G represents a significant advancement in communication tech. Offering higher data speeds, lower latency, increased network capacity and the ability to connect to a larger number of devices simultaneously, 5G tech is the best infrastructure for today’s world of work.

If you’re not leveraging 5G yet, there’s no need to worry. There’s still time for you to join the 7 in 10 UK businesses [8] already using or planning to deploy 5G in order to deliver a competitive advantage. All you need is the right connectivity partner.

Three Business is the UK’s Fastest 5G Network [9], providing unlimited 5G power to over 500,000 business customers with ultra-flexible contracts and plans.

Get in touch to see how we can boost your connectivity, streamline your comms and unlock your team’s potential.