“The RF exposure discussion will likely get even more intense with the rollout of 5G mobile networks”
NEWS & BUSINESS
JohnWilliamson – see page 22
Broadband a utility as important as running water to UK homeowners
Access to ultrafast broadband is now almost as important to new home buyers as running water and electricity. So says Rob Perrins, Chief Executive of UK property developer the Berkeley Group. Perrins reckons owners expect broadband to be available from the day they move in, and believes the company would risk losing buyers if new properties didn’t o er high-speed connectivity. Berkeley is partnering with Openreach in a UK nationwide scheme to connect all sizeable new housing developments in the UK with ‘full-fibre’ FTTP technology. Launched in February last year, the scheme was initially free for developments of 250 homes or more, then in May 2016 Openreach reduced it to 100 homes, and from November it was reduced further to 30 homes. The IoT (Internet of Things) has become the leading technology for digital transformation and is the number one priority for 92 per cent of organisations, according to global research findings published today by Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite communications. The Inmarsat Research Programme study focusing on the enterprise application of the IoT revealed that machine learning (38 per cent), robotics (35 per cent), and 3D printing (31 per cent) were also key requirements for e ectively delivering digital transformation for business. Conducted independently on behalf of Inmarsat by Vanson Bourne, the report surveyed
building process. Openreach has promised to connect new homes within nine months of contracting with a developer. Any developments with two or more homes which already have access to the company’s existing or planned fibre infrastructure will be either funded entirely by Openreach or with the help of developer co-funding where that’s needed.
move in to their properties. Openreach plans to make ultrafast broadband speeds available to up to 12 million homes and businesses by the end of 2020. The provision of FTTP infrastructure for free to all new housing developments with 30 or more homes is dependent on developers registering their site with Openreach and working together early in the
So far, Openreach has worked with developers to provide ultrafast broadband to more than 586,000 premises across 2,400 developments registered with Openreach to benefit from a free FTTP infrastructure, with many more expected to join over the coming months. This year, Berkeley Group has adopted ‘full fibre’ across almost every development it is building and will provide the technology to all future homes. “For new home buyers, high speed broadband has almost become a given now – it is like the power steering on a car – no one asks whether the car they’re buying has it anymore,” remarked Perrins. Many UK developers, including Berkeley, are now taking the option of self-installing Openreach equipment to help cut out delays and to be able o er service when customers 500 senior respondents from across the agritech, energy production, transportation, and mining sectors, from organisations over a 1,000 employees in size. The key findings reveal that almost all (97 per cent) respondents are experiencing, or expect to experience, significant benefits from the deployment of IoT technologies. Improved service delivery capabilities (47 per cent), better health and safety across the organisation (46 per cent), and greater workforce productivity (45 per cent) were identified as the top three benefits to be gained from the deployment of IoT- based solutions. The research also highlights
Openreach has helped to provide free FTTP infrastructure to 2,400 UK developments since February 2016
IoT the ‘top priority’ in driving digital transformation
Paul Gudonis, President, Inmarsat Enterprise, commented, “This research confirms that IoT is the leading technology in digital transformation, taking a steady lead over other forms of innovation. IoT acts as the eyes and ears of organisations and its value comes from how the data it collects is used to improve e ectiveness across an organisation. As such, it is unsurprising that so many organisations are deploying to imply that challenges are absent. The research points to clear concerns – namely, security, skills, and connectivity. The increasing interconnectivity of devices, teamed with a heightened cyber-security landscape and a short supply of relevant skills, brings an array of issues. To overcome these challenges, collaboration is key. IoT to propel their digital transformation initiatives. “However, this is not
security concerns, a lack of skills – particularly in the deployment of IoT – and connectivity as key challenges that need to be addressed in order to maximise IoT’s potential. Almost half (47 per cent) of respondents believe that their organisation will need to rethink their approach to data security and make heavy investments to meet IoT security requirements. Some 45 per cent cite lack of skills as a particular challenge for their organisation in deploying IoT, while 29 per cent agree with the statement that connectivity issues threaten to derail their IoT deployments before they have even begun.
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| ISSUE 10 | Q3 2017
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