The recent call to arms from the Government to work from home has sent millions of people setting up makeshift offices throughout the UK. Through digital technologies and devices, the transition has been relatively painless, especially if you are in a major conurbation where networks routinely offer stable fibre connections and solid 4G connections.
Sadly, not everyone in the UK has access to reliably fast connections or indeed anything over a “one bar” mobile connection which means your crucial client meeting or Zoom family quiz is still very much “subject to availability”.
There is however some very good news for sufferers of “buffer-face” or the “wheel of eternal doom”, and that is the rollout of 5G Broadband, coming 10 years after the rollout of 4G, promising speeds in excess of even wired connections.
In real terms, this game-changing technology will allow you to stream 8K video directly to your phone, download a full movie in seconds and engage in latency-free multiplayer gaming (literally, a game-changer!).
Now, more than ever, fast, reliable and consistent connectivity is playing a vital role in human interactivity and business productivity, so here is our guide to 5G and why it could be your next home and company game-changer.
What exactly is 5G?
5G is the next generation of internet connectivity. 4G had a maximum download speed of 300Mbps whereas 5G is expected to achieve download speeds of 10Gbps – that’s 100 times faster than 4G and 2000 times faster than 3G.
5G speeds are likely to exceed those of modern-day fibre connections, which translates into fast, reliable connections both in and out of the home or office.
When will 5G be available in the UK?
5G is currently available in selected locations; it has now been launched in 71 large towns and cities throughout the United Kingdom. Services are provided by the main mobile providers with further rollout expected to continue aggressively throughout 2020/2021. EE are currently aiming for full UK coverage by 2022.
Locations where 5G has rolled out or will be rolling out in 2020 include:
- London, England
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Birmingham, England
- Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Manchester, England
- Cardiff, Wales
- Bristol, England
- Coventry, England
- Leicester, England
If you need further information about availability in your area, call our expert team.
It is anticipated that the rollout of 5G will inspire and accelerate the advancement of emerging technologies such as self-driving cars, augmented reality software and the famed “IoT” (the Internet of Things) devices that “speak” to each other providing services that anticipate need, make us more efficient and even save lives.
Will 5G replace my current fixed-line broadband?
According to TechRadar the answer for the moment is no, it will act as a “companion to fixed-line broadband” but in time it is anticipated that it will “eventually become the de facto connection for both your mobile phone and home broadband.”
In short, 5G is the connection you will have wherever you are – at home and at work.
How do businesses benefit from 5G?
Whilst 5G will improve home connectivity, its true potential lies in how it can improve business communications across all industries.
Increased mobility
5G is a genuine “always-on” technology – essentially you take your connection with you. No more dropouts whilst moving from WiFi to Mobile data. With our unlimited data bundles for business mobiles, you can ensure your team is able to stay connected no matter where they are, even when working from home.
Better communications
With increased speed comes increased stability. In today’s hyper-connected world where video conferencing has become standard in both businesses and homes, 5G now offers genuine opportunities to work smarter and play harder.
Improved productivity
Consider the effect of increased levels of speed, capacity and reliability for your business. Collaborative working in real-time over rock-solid connections is the dream of most business owners who are looking to increase efficiency and drive bottom-line profit.
What’s the latest on 5G phones?
Major manufacturers are ramping up 5G compatible phones and mobile devices. Major players including Samsung, Oppo, LG, Huawei and Xiaomi all feature highly in reviews with some stunning models being released on a regular basis.
There is little doubt that the rollout of 5G across the UK will signify another sea change in how we view and respond to the world. Increased connection speeds bring a fresh perspective on working from home or remote locations allowing greater flexibility and is, ultimately, kinder to the planet, which is possibly the real game-changer for all of us.
Is 5G right for your business?
5G will improve the productivity and competitiveness of nearly every business in the UK and there is an opportunity to capture the benefits before it becomes mainstream and to get ahead of your competitors.
Our expert team can advise you on the best way to incorporate 5G into your business across multiple locations and internationally, whether you are a charity or a financial firm, or even a start-up.
To explore ways that 5G could be a game-changer for your business call our expert team.
125 bed independent hotel in Basingstoke had broadband connection issues which affected every area of business.
About Apollo Hotel
Apollo hotels is a 125 bed independent hotel in Basingstoke. When their broadband connection was unexpectantly ceased, the result was devastating, affecting booking, payment and communication systems and guest WiFi. With services provided by different organisations it was hard for the staff to know where to go first, until they heard of SCG Service Protect.
The Challenges
Data, networks and telephony are increasingly part of a converged solution and at SCG we understand how vulnerable our customers can be, when not all services are with the same provider and maintaining high availability is business critical. Service Protect provides an added level of support to these businesses, with a team of highly skilled and dedicated engineers, who work co-operatively with your IT suppliers and 3rd party vendors to diagnose and resolve faults. The result being a faster, easier fix for our customers, with one point of contact, reducing the risk of interruptions caused by combined network/telephony issues.
It wasn’t their connection which was at fault, which left me in a difficult situation about where to turn, however, they talked to me about Service Protect so I got an engineer on that day. You don’t appreciate the use of something until you actually need it. We benefitted greatly
Paul Fearson
The SCG Solution
VoiceSafe protects equine supplies company from liability for costs generated by telephone fraudsters.
About Falcon Equine Feeds
Falcon Equine Feeds have been developing specialist foods and nutritional supplements since 1999.
Pleasure riders and Olympic teams alike have benefited from the expert advice given by Falcon Equine Feeds to enhance and optimise the long term welfare of their horses. Products developed by Falcon Equine Feeds are available across the globe through a network of retail and wholesale outlets. A leader in their field, Falcon Equine Feeds have been appointed as the official feed supplier to the world famous All England Show Jumping Course at Hickstead, England.
The Challenges
For any organisation a telephone bill well above the average would be a surprise and for most it is a cost they have to bear, even if the calls have been made by telephone fraudsters. Over the course of a weekend plagued by storms and power cuts Falcon Equine Feeds fell victim to a series of fraudulent attacks on their telephone system when hackers dialled in remotely and generated a telephone bill equivalent to two years call charges in just two weeks.
Luckily, Falcon Equine Feeds had been trialling VoiceSafe a new and unique service from SCG, which meant their system had been protected by the VoiceSafe network and system offering. SCG caught a second attack and blocked the company’s telephones. Due to the attack happening intermittently over a time of disruption to the power supply it was only when the power was sustained the fraud was detected and stopped. SCG VoiceSafe Commitment is to protect the system and network and if the fraudsters still access the system they will pay up to £10,000 in compensation. In this case the attack was picked up and stopped but not before over £6,000.00 worth of calls were racked up.
Honouring the VoiceSafe commitment those costs have been covered by SCG for Falcon Equine Feeds. Although Telephone Fraud costs organisations millions of pounds every year, very little is known about it by those vulnerable to attack. Criminals are becoming increasingly advanced in their methods often striking at weekends and out of hours, when business premises are empty, hacking into the telephone systems of unsuspecting organisations and making large numbers of calls to expensive call destinations.
We are nothing but grateful to SCG for their support and would like to help other businesses realise how vulnerable they are.
The SCG Solution
Organisations constantly undervalue the importance of using a reputable company that will take the necessary steps to help prevent them becoming a victim of telephone fraud when installing & maintaining a telephone system and choosing a provider for network based Calls & Lines. SCG have developed VoiceSafe as a proactive service to defend customer’s telephone systems and telephony network access from fraud. We actively look to bar out of hours calls to specific vulnerable locations and lock our customers systems down. This is achieved easily where we maintain the system and where this is not the case we look at external telephony protection using a variety of methods we have developed over a number of years. We are so confident in our ability to protect our customers that if fraud still happens, as in the case of Falcon Equine Feeds, we will pay up to £10,000.00 of compensation as a credit against calls made through fraudulent activity on a VoiceSafe protected system.
The Benefits
VoiceSafe is a revolutionary product available exclusively from SCG. It means SCG can use its vast experience and look at every way to lock your telephony down both internally and at a network level to protect your organisation against fraudulent attack and, as in the case of Falcon Equine Feeds, if the fraudsters still get through our compensation offering covers the costs of the attack (up to £10,000) – a cost that without VoiceSafe the fraud victim would be responsible for paying.
Falcon Equine Feeds were surprised at how easy it was to become a victim. Delighted with the service they have received from SCG and the protection offered by VoiceSafe they are keen to share their experience to make other businesses aware of just how easily they can be targeted and the financial implications to an organisation if they are not protected.
“We are constantly made aware of on-line fraud yet so little is known about telephone fraud” commented Falcon Equine Feeds. “As a result of this we have a much better understanding of potential damage telephone fraud can cause a business. We are nothing but grateful to SCG for their support and would like to help others businesses realise how vulnerable they are.”
At Southern Communications, we will be rolling out EE 5G to our customers as it is rolled out across the UK, with the latest devices.
Is 5G much better than 4G?
It has been 10 years since 4G was released on mobiles across the world, making the Internet and connections far more accessible and speedier for users. Now 5G is being rolled out across the UK and the rest of the world and is expected to completely change the way we interact using mobiles, being up to 100x faster.
5G networks are being delivered by leading networks such as EE and will have a large impact on how businesses use mobile communications.
When will 5G roll out and who is providing coverage?
5G coverage has already started rolling out in the UK, with EE currently the main network providing 5G services. Over the course of 2020, EE are planning on providing 26 major cities with 5G coverage, with some cities already receiving coverage.
These include:
- London, England
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Birmingham, England
- Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Manchester, England
- Cardiff, Wales
- Bristol, England
- Coventry, England
- Leicester, England
Mobile phone companies are also starting to roll out smartphones that are 5G ready. The latest phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 and the iPhone 11 Pro are already available.
Improved speed and connectivity – 100x faster
The main feature of the new 5G network is the speed and connectivity solutions, making it far more efficient for users. It’s predicted that speeds will be up to 100x faster than 4G, making connectivity almost instantaneous.
Low latency is the reason for faster connectivity and speeds on the 5G network. Latency refers to the time that passes between your device sending the information its looking for, until it has been transferred to the receiver.
These speeds will give users the ability to upload and download files instantly and watch an HD film immediately on your phone without waiting for it to download and buffer.
What are the main benefits for businesses?
Having business mobiles with a 5G connection will allow businesses to work even more efficiently and productively, providing better communications for both staff and clients.
Some of the main benefits to businesses include:
Fast uploads and downloads
Ability to upload and download files easily with better connectivity and faster speeds. Staff will be able to quickly and efficiently look at files on their mobile when out of the office. This flexibility means that your teams can work at anytime, giving customers a far better service, even when out of the office.
Clear and fast video calls and conferencing
Video calling will be clearer and faster. If you have clients all over the world that you have regular meetings with, or you just need to speak to your team back in the office, video calling will be far clearer and quicker. You will be able to easily communicate with and show others presentations without blurred communications that cut out. This will save a lot of time, prevent miscommunication and potentially help sales.
Better comms for out of office staff
You’ll notice better connectivity to those who are out of the office. If your business has regular home workers, such as customer service executives, it will make it far easier to keep in touch with them and for them to communicate with clients. Emails will be sent and received instantly, improving efficiencies in the workplace.
Get in touch with our expert team
If you would like to find out more about our business mobile services, visit our website, or get in touch on 01256 391 046.
BASINGSTOKE, UK – Business-to-business communications specialist, Southern Communications Ltd, has been awarded the Tech Leadership Team Award at the 2019 Thames Valley Tech Awards (TVTA).
Southern Communications are a rapidly growing business employing over 350 staff. This award, sponsored by Goringe Accountants, is a great accolade for the Basingstoke based company who are one of the fastest growing companies in the UK and whose continual and significant growth has shown revenue increase by 108%, over the past two years, to £90m. This is the second win this year for the management team, who were earlier presented with the Best Mid Market Management Team Award by the BVCA (British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association).
Nicky Goringe Larkin, Managing Director and Founder of Goringe Accountants said “ When deciding on the winner of the Tech Leadership Team award, as sponsors of the category at the 2019 Thames Valley Tech Awards, we were looking for a team that demonstrated the following characteristics: inspiring, successful and innovative. Southern Communications fulfilled this and then some!
All of the teams that entered were of a very high standard. However, Southern Communications really stood out to us as winners as they have had a clear vision at each stage of their growth, successfully transforming these visions into reality, through a diverse and energised leadership team.
The Southern Communications leadership team continually look to bring new members into their business that can help them achieve their next challenge and as such are truly inspirational and a leader in their field.”
The awards recognise technology companies across a region, often referred to as the UK’s Silicon Valley, that have excelled in performance and other business areas with awards for Start-ups, Innovations, SMEs, Growth and more. Winners were presented with their awards at a glittering black-tie dinner held at the Madejski Stadium in September, attended by hundreds of key players in the Technology industry.
Paul Bradford, CEO, Southern Communications collected the award on behalf of the team and said “We are delighted to have received this award. We are very proud of all the staff at Southern Communications and would like to thank the sponsors for their recognition”
A list of winners can be found at https://tvtechawards.co.uk/tech-awards-winners-2019
BASINGSTOKE, UK – Business-to-business communications specialist, Southern Communications Ltd, have been shortlisted in four categories of the 2019 Thames Valley Tech Awards (TVTA).
Southern Communications, a rapidly growing business employing over 350 staff, have been shortlisted against tough competition in the categories of Tech Leadership Team, High Growth Business, Tech Company of the Year and Communications Company of the year in the TVTA.
The awards recognise technology companies across a region, often referred to as the UK’s Silicon Valley, that have excelled in performance and other business areas with awards for Start-ups, Innovations, SMEs, Growth and more. Winners will be presented with their awards at a glittering black-tie dinner held at the Madejski Stadium in September, attended by hundreds of key players in the Technology industry.
A list of finalists can be found at https://tvtechawards.co.uk/tech-awards-finalists-2019
About Southern Communications
Established in 1965, Southern Communications is one of the oldest telecoms companies in the UK. Since 1995, led by Paul Bradford (CEO) and supported by a dynamic management team, the business has grown from a turnover of just £100,000 to over £80m million this year.
Today, Southern Communications is a Tier 2 ISP, supplying communications products and services, including telephony and cloud computing, to SME customers. The company employs more than 350 staff in a range of disciplines from engineers and sales to customer services and accounts.
Businesses and organisations are likely to be aware of online fraud, but are less informed about the risks surrounding telephone fraud. Essentially, at any time fraudsters may attempt to hack into your telephone systems to make a high volume of high-cost calls to obscure locations for large financial gains.
Typically, experienced hackers will attack Private Branch Exchange systems remotely during the night and out-of-hours, when staff are most likely to be unavailable to check the system and respond. This affects a wide range of sectors, from schools to charities and hotels and retail.
The high cost of telephone fraud
Unfortunately, this type of fraud costs businesses millions of pounds a year and the cost can even force companies to close down; for a small to medium company spending £200 a month on their telephone system, an unexpected attack costing thousands can make them financially vulnerable.
Without the right protections in place, it can be surprisingly easy to become a victim of telephone fraud; cloud-based systems are at risk the same as traditional PBX set-ups.
How can you protect yourself from this type of fraud?
- Ensure adequate firewalls are in place
- Use secure password protection (never the default)
- Regularly update passwords
- Bar unnecessary phone numbers
- Look out for unusual activity
It’s vital that businesses protect themselves from attack by choosing telephony systems with built-in protection. A provider should be able to detail the firewalls in place and the system should be password protected.
Additionally, restrictions on the system, such as barring unnecessary international numbers, out of hours calls and access to your voicemail system from external phones are essential. It’s also recommended that companies set-up voicemail passwords (never use the default) as this is a common route for attackers to enter a system. These passwords should also be changed regularly. Such a proactive approach should limit the ‘worst case scenario’ should a hacker successfully attack.
Unusual call activity can be a change in the patterns you typically see, such as a sharp increase in outgoing calls during off-peak hours.
Our message to businesses is to be proactive and aware of the dangers. Making and receiving calls is a key business component to success and customer service, so it’s important that it’s a top priority to keep them secure.
As added protection, our customers benefit from, VoiceSafe, which will credit the cost of fraudulent calls up to an agreed amount. A real help to fraud victims hit with unexpected costs. In the situation where a company is attacked without a service like VoiceSafe, the responsibility of paying for the calls sits with the business that has been hit by the fraud.
Read our case study with the BWI Group to see how we saved them over £5,000 of costs from PBX fraud.
Check your current security
If you believe your telephone system – either a PBX, IP or hosted system – is vulnerable to attack and is missing the necessary protections available, it’s important to take action quickly to protect your business. Any form of hack can be disruptive to productivity as well as to your finances.
As a general rule, implement a frequent review of call logs and call reporting to assess that calls are genuine and ask your provider to let you know when updates to security features occur. Updates are able to further secure your system from the developing threat from hackers who will be looking to advance their methods and success rates.
Contact us for solutions
Any concerned business can contact Southern Communications for a review of their security measures. Solutions from a review can include updated software and hardware, as well as proactive monitoring practices. These can be cost effective in the long term and if possible, it’s worth seriously considering financial insurance to minimise the economic strain should the worst happen.
Basingstoke, Hampshire 4th April 2019 – Basingstoke based Southern Communications scoop Best Mid Market Management Team at the BVCA Management Team Awards.
Paul Bradford, CEO, Southern Communications, attended the Chair’s dinner to receive the award at the prestigious Banqueting House, London. The exclusive dinner brought together BVCA Chairs past and present, senior industry, parliamentarian and media officials and regulators, for a high level evening looking at the impact of the industry.
Southern Communications is one of the fastest growing Tier 2 ISPs. The company employs over 280 staff across the UK and has over 50 years of experience in providing businesses with Cloud, Network, Voice, Mobile and Security solutions.
On accepting the award, Paul Bradford, CEO of Southern Communications said “I am delighted to be presented with this award. I am very proud of the whole team at Southern Communications. We have built a strong management team and have the best employees in the industry. This award is a great recognition for the business and a fantastic achievement, which wouldn’t have been possible without the backing of Livingbridge, who provide fantastic support through the delivery or our growth plans. ”
The British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) is the industry body and public policy advocate for the private equity and venture capital industry in the UK, with a membership of more than 700 influential firms, including over 300 private equity and venture capital houses
The judges commented:- “When Southern Communications first came to market, Paul Bradford and his dynamic management team already had a clear objective of what they wanted to achieve and they have executed their plan fantastically. Their EBITDA growth is stellar and the long-standing management team are brilliant, loyal to the business, self-sufficient, and have huge levels of ambition.”
For more information about the BVCA visit https://www.bvca.co.uk/.
Cloud environments, are a fantastic way for businesses to manage their business applications on virtual servers, removing the need for costly on-site servers, which need regular maintenance and a controlled environment.
The benefits of Cloud Technology
Migrating to the cloud may seem like a difficult process, but it is one that we have simplified meaning your small, medium or large business can benefit quickly and easily from making the switch.
For most businesses, the benefits of being on the cloud make it incredibly appealing. Here are some of the improvements you can expect:
High quality and flexible communications
- Accessible from anywhere, anytime of year (including the holidays)
- Easy to add and remove users
Fully managed by your provider
- Reduce the strain on your team
Opex model
- Only pay for what you need
Future-proofed and ready for expansion
- Be set for business growth
Resilient, secure and backed-up
- Never lose work again
- Built in business continuity
The process of migration
To obtain the benefits of using better technology, we migrate your business over after stages of planning and assessment to ensure minimal disruption to your productivity. As we’ve completed numerous migrations, you have peace of mind that our data will be secure and that you will have as much control as you wish and peace of mind.
Training
Once we understand the critical data and applications being migrated, we work with you to transition them.
Creating a cloud environment
The cloud system itself will be flexible and created for your business, based on your needs and the solutions we have discussed with you. Our expert technical specialists have years of experience in migration and will be able to answer questions every step of the way.
On going support
Once you have migrated to the cloud the data centre teams take care of the environment, with 24/7/365 monitoring and depending our your requirements, we can offer access to authorised users or carry out maintenance on your behalf to allow you to focus on your most important business goals and being productive.
Hybrid cloud solutions
Not sure you want all of your applications based in a cloud environment? We also offer hybrid cloud solutions, whereby some applications can be migrated to the cloud, whilst others stay on-site.
This solution works well as both a permanent setup for your business, or as a pathway into a full cloud environment. This again is very flexible and created to maximise the benefits to your working environment.
Is cloud computing right for your business?
Cloud technology is ideal for most businesses, small, medium, large, local and international, due to the fact it’s flexible, reliable and secure.
It’s scalability is definitely a factor in migrating to the cloud for companies who have plans to expand in the future, and removing the servers and maintenance responsibility to a provider saves key members of staff time to concentrate on other factors.
Find out more about a hybrid cloud environment and see if it’s right for your business, or get in touch with us today.
Make an enquiry
If you’re looking to migrate your business to the cloud, either to a full cloud environment or a hybrid solution, get in touch with our team to discuss your requirements.
Call us on 01256 391 046, or email our team on sales@southern-comms.co.uk for more information.
Southern Communications have received industry recognition in two categories of the Comms National Awards 2018.
The Awards, which are now in their 17th year, recognise outstanding achievement in the ICT channel and are the channel’s most coveted prize. Judged by a panel of experts the awards recognise success across reseller and vendor categories.
Southern Communications received Highly Commended in the Best Business Growth and were selected as a finalist in the Customer Service Category.
The Best Business Growth was open to all channel organisations across vendor/carrier/service provider/distributor or reseller and was awarded to the business showing the highest percentage growth, judged on business success and expansion as well as monetary growth, over the past 12 months.
The Customer Service Awards recognises Southern Communications commitment and expertise in delivering customer service excellence.
The awards presentation took place at a Black Tie dinner on 11th October at the luxurious Hilton, Park Lane, London and will be attended by all the leading figures in the industry.
Paul Bradford, Southern Communications CEO, said: “I am absolutely delighted with these results. Customer satisfaction is key to growth and we are absolutely passionate about providing our customers with the best possible service at all times”