The business landscape is ever-changing, keeping businesses of all sizes on their toes, ready to pivot and adapt on the go. Add to this the ongoing need to improve processes, products, services and working environments, and it results in the kind of pressure that a lot of small businesses might not have experienced before.
From logging on to start your day from anywhere in the world, to virtual collaboration and conferences, and so much more – when it comes to the changes we’re experiencing in the way we work, we’re only at the start of the journey.
However, one constant is that many of the ways that business is evolving is largely dependent on network connection strength. That’s why 5G (fifth generation wireless), brings with it one of the keys to businesses being able to leverage technology to improve efficiencies and productivity.
5G not only helps to support your operations and the people relying on a fast connection, it also opens up your business to a range of new growth opportunities that would likely be otherwise out of reach.
A foundation for new opportunities
While 5G is significantly faster than its predecessors of wireless (and many home broadband) services, it’s not just the speed that will unlock new possibilities. 5G makes things possible that weren’t before. Its capabilities extend to support more users and more applications to work simultaneously on the same network, without bringing it to a crawl and with less latency (lag time).
This reduction in latency, along with its other connectivity benefits, is what can bring to life the technology that wasn’t possible before. Technology like connected and autonomous cars, smart stadiums, remote surgery, smarter artificial intelligence, and more. A list that barely scratches the surface of what 5G is likely to unlock in the years to come.
What 5G means for your small business
While 5G is likely to be at the epicentre of some extraordinary ‘what-if’ technology, it also has very tangible advantages for small businesses across all kinds of industries.
Keeps business running
For small businesses, minor connection outages, interruptions or lag time have the potential to negatively impact work flow, productivity and can even lead to reputational damage. A fast connection is one of the best-known benefits of 5G. With anticipated delays of less than a millisecond, teams will have a virtually lossless experience of data transmission and clients are likely to reap the positive flow on effect of these efficiencies.
For businesses leveraging a fixed internet connection, in the event of an outage, 5G can also provide a backup that can help keep things running.
Improved accessibility
In addition to having faster internet, the nature of these connections also means that businesses can access more bandwidth, which allows multiple applications to run at the same time. This improvement in connectivity is also likely to strengthen flexible working arrangements for employers and employees, supporting teams to communicate and collaborate from more places with high quality voice and video.
Tapping into the Internet of Things (IoT)
Arguably, one of the most exciting ways 5G is improving productivity and efficiencies in business is via IoT. While IoT can feel more ‘big business’, 5G makes this kind of connectivity possible for smaller businesses alike.
Levering the 5G network means that small businesses will be able to use technology to replace more manual processes. Things like inventory management, quality control, and supply chain management can all benefit from IoT devices.
For example, service workers within different trades, like plumbers or construction workers, could leverage IoT devices to collect and share data with their central office or other team members at the touch of a button. Additionally, online activities like processing transactions and monitoring supply levels can become more efficient, freeing up time to focus on less prioritised activities like brainstorming, your next marketing campaign or responding to customer enquiries.
This kind of connectivity can lead to greater company-wide visibility, a reduction in duplicate work, and more immediate collaboration, eventuating to more streamlined business processes, happier workers and more satisfied clients.
Business scalability
While it may seem like a given, as a business grows, so does data usage, transfers, and storage requirements. 5G is able to facilitate rapid growth by allowing businesses to scale up their technologies and infrastructure as needed.
Securing important business information through cloud backup and storage using the internet has become the new corporate network. And as businesses scale, 5G is able to provide sufficient cloud capacity to accommodate these changes.
More consistent customer experiences
5G allows you to give customers access to more information faster, paired with a more seamless omnichannel experience. With increased internal communication efficiencies, 5G has the opportunity to provide more interactive customer experiences using technology like augmented reality and virtual reality. With customers benefiting from deeper immersive experiences, this can help enhance the way they engage with your business’s products and services, and ultimately evolve into a more personal connection.
How TBTC Perth South can help
At TBTC Perth South, our Business Technology Advisors will work with you to understand your business’s specific needs and find a 5G solution that fits. We take a whole business approach to business technology, aligning our recommendations to your specific strategic goals and plans for the future.
To find out more about Telstra’s 5G network, talk to us today. Let’s get connecting.
