A recent survey by Swansea Bay Business Club has revealed that half of the respondents were unaware that faster Internet speeds were available to them despite them being willing to pay more for a faster connection.
Following the survey, Swansea Bay Business Club enquiries have revealed that superfast or fibre optic broadband is now available in the region despite only 35 per cent of respondents currently using it for Internet connection for their business.
With almost 26 per cent of businesses saying their Internet speed is not adequate for their needs and 21 per cent stating that their business is being held back due to poor connectivity, Swansea Bay Business Club is now urging members to take advantage of the new superfast and fibre optic options being rolled out in the region by a number a providers.
President of Swansea Bay Business Club, Bruce Roberts, said: “Businesses are not only reliant upon the Internet but increasingly, technology has become the foundation of any successful business, therefore, effective and reliable Internet connection is crucial to so many businesses across the Swansea Bay region.
“We would now advise businesses to re-evaluate their existing packages based on their and research the provisions that are now available to them.
“Across all sectors, the benefits for business include significantly faster download speeds, particularly beneficial as a business grows, with additional staff generating more digital activity and overall traffic. Fast internet should help businesses be competitive and also allow them to save money, whether by paying invoices online or having video conference calls. We would urge businesses to now look into what services are available to them to best suit their digital needs.”
Mr Roberts continued: “Our policy group survey was introduced to ensure the views of local businesses were reflected. Our aim is to be the loudest unified voice on issues that affect businesses in Swansea Bay to ensure that the interests of businesses in Swansea Bay are at the top of the agenda.”