How full fibre broadband can boost the UK's economic bounce back
Over the 12 weeks or so we’ve seen the true value of digital communications. Optify has been working hard behind the scenes, keeping the UK connected, day and night.
Full fibre networks, such as Optify's have supported working, learning, shopping, laughing, crying and a lot of quizzing. It’s kept people informed and ensured vital work could continue.
“Infrastructure” has long been a by-word for roads and rails. Yet for over a decade, the telecoms sector has invested billions into building the UK a modern digital platform. Without that investment, 97% of homes couldn’t access superfast broadband, and the experience of lockdown would’ve been far more isolating.
Through this pandemic, we’ve glimpsed the future. More people working at home. Better air quality. Online GP consultations. Elderly relatives connecting digitally. Children learning via the web. We’ve learnt how to embrace technology and it’s vital that we hold onto those benefits and carry this experience into our new, more connected future.
The Centre for Economics & Business Research (CEBR) estimates that full fibre deployment on its own could boost working from home by just over a million additional people, taking the share working more than 2 days a week from home in England and Wales up from 11.9% to 16.2%. But as a result of the COVID-19 crisis the organisation now believes that, come 2025, we might have about a quarter (25% or 6 million people) of the workforce working from home on any day. This technology will also help to create 1.2 million jobs.
At a time when the economy needs a boost, Full Fibre could boost the UK’s productivity by nearly £60bn, slash carbon emissions from commuting, and enable more people to access employment whilst balancing caring or parenting responsibilities. It would reduce transport and housing pressures in big cities and level-up rural and local economies throughout the country.
There's never been a better time to invest in fibre.
