The Government must take urgent action to make the UK match-fit for the digital revolution and ensure businesses can access the digital connectivity they need to thrive. This is according to the CBI’s latest report, Ready, Set, Connect.
This year, companies welcomed the Government’s ambitious target of rolling out 5G nationwide by 2027 and full fibre by 2033. But without Government action on funding and policy in 2019, firms of all sizes will be at risk of losing their competitive edge internationally.
The CBI’s report highlights key actions for policymakers to deliver on their vision to achieve a ‘buffer-free’ digital future and make the UK the top place to start and grow a digital business.
CBI recommendations include:
“Our country is already home to hundreds of thousands of innovative technological firms, both start-ups and large enterprises. Business models and workplaces are changing, and more people are either working from a coffee shop, their home or office. They are the backbone of our economy and they all rely on fast and reliable digital connectivity to run their businesses successfully.
“Action needs to be taken now to unleash our digital economy which is already worth nearly £184 billion. This means the Government must unlock investment, update the law to help everyone get access to gigabit broadband and spur businesses to adopt new technologies.”
On 5G, Mr Fell added: “Businesses are using digital infrastructure in new ways, and it is changing people’s lives by enabling new technologies, reducing costs and allowing people to work more flexibly.
“As a game-changing technology, 5G can also help raise UK productivity. Now’s the time to capitalise on the UK’s leading research base, become a global exporter of this technology and how to adopt it well.
“World-class 5G technology could potentially add up to £173 billion to the UK economy by 2030. Companies are going to rely on this cutting-edge technology to supercharge their productivity and end the postcode lottery felt most by many rural communities.”
Sarah Duckering, director of research and innovation at the University of Portsmouth, Horizons 5G, added: “We live in a world of opportunity, where more devices are connected than ever before and where demand has never been greater. That’s why we’ve developed a collaborative team made up of leading universities and pioneering space companies, to unlock the unique capabilities of new technologies.
“We need the right digital infrastructure for data analytics, connectivity, and cyber security, this is not just a challenge for business but for everyone and it’s why we need the Government to act now.”
CBI www.cbi.org.uk
