Whether you’re a business park owner or a tenant, having access to fast, reliable broadband is critical. Cloud storage and backup, e-commerce, video conferencing, social media and content on-demand services have increased the bandwidth needed by most modern businesses to unprecedented levels.
Network providers have traditionally built their infrastructure primarily for the residential market, to meet the demands of domestic consumers. That’s because traditional copper and fibre-based networks are expensive to build and maintain, so tend to be built in areas where there is a high density of potential subscribers, to meet economic need and maximise the return on investment. This places business locations in built-up, urban and semi-rural locations at a greater advantage, as it’s likely that they can get connected to an existing network to gain access to superfast broadband speeds. However, for business parks and centres in less built-up or more rural areas, it creates several challenges.
It places business park operators at a big disadvantage, as they may not be able to access the same networks and broadband speeds as their town or city-based competitors, which can tap into them with relevant ease. This means that without significant investment in dedicated connectivity infrastructure, they may be left lagging behind when it comes to broadband speeds – which can be a major selling point in a competitive marketplace.
The knock-on effect to their tenants also has a big impact, as many may not be able to access the reliable or fast speeds they require to do business in the increasingly global market economy. A recent article for SME Magazine identified that accessibility and potential for growth were two of the top five things businesses look for when deciding upon their location.
The increase in digitisation and online business makes accessibility key, especially for businesses in rural locations which risk being isolated and cut-off from their potential customers if they can’t access adequate broadband speeds. And with technology continuing to evolve and advance, not having access to good, reliable broadband connectivity can also hamper their growth plans.
Conversely, businesses which do have access to superfast speeds tend to be more agile, resilient and futureproof.
The benefits of business park broadband
Whatever your business does, regardless of whether its large or small, specialised broadband can be an important tool in saving money, improving efficiency and enhancing productivity. It also offers the following benefits:
Faster speeds – A dedicated business park broadband solution means you will be able to offer faster upload and download speeds to the businesses which require it. This is vital for any business which hosts a website, trades online, receives or sends large data files electronically, or has a high volume of network users.
Improved security – The introduction of GDPR and other recent changes to data protection laws have made cyber security a top concern for businesses of all sizes. With dedicated business broadband, you can create a static IP address, which is essential for running a secure website and a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Better customer support – Network outages and downtime can create huge disruption to the day-to-day running of a business, so keeping them to a minimum is essential. Having a fully managed broadband network from a specialist provider like Wytech gives priority and peace of mind to business customers, as IT support is just a phone call away.
Multi-site and remote working connectivity – Many businesses now operate from more than one location or require remote access so their people can share access to the same system at the same time. Solutions such as dedicated point-to-point links, site-to-site VPN connections or even Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) can be utilised to allow staff to access your network, data and applications and from multiple locations.
Smarter telephony – As well as providing superfast broadband speeds to enable businesses to do more online, futureproof telephony solutions can also be built into a network. Voice over IP (VoIP) technology allows business users to make and receive telephone calls via an internet connection, resulting in cheaper call charges, faster voice and video conferencing calls and improved voice quality.
Case study – Churcham Business Park
Wytech was appointed to design, supply and install an innovative new broadband connectivity solution at Churcham Business Park and provide an ongoing, fully managed delivery and support service. The purpose-built light-industrial business estate is home to 28 tenants and more than 120 employees.
The broadband solution it had in place when it was opened in 2004 was adequate for its needs at that time. But, with the advent of the cloud, social media and ecommerce, business demand for faster download speeds increased exponentially and the park’s existing broadband connectivity and infrastructure was struggling to cope. This put it at a competitive disadvantage when compared to in-town rented business premises, which could offer better connectivity.
Wytech designed and project managed the implementation of a gigabit leased line solution that delivered fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) connectivity to every business unit on the site. This means that the gigabit backbone and the links to each of the park’s 28 units are both fibre, rather than traditional copper cable.
Our solution gives tenants access to three tariffs (30mbps, 50mbps 100mbps and faster) depending on their needs, along with support via Wytech’s dedicated IT helpdesk.
David Smart, Director of Churcham Business Park, said: “We’ve been really impressed by the ongoing service and support that Wytech has given to us and our tenants, which is a really important part of our overall service offering.”
Download our Ultrafast Business Broadband Case Study
How can Wytech help?
Wytech specialises in providing improved business-grade internet connectivity in challenging areas and to clients with a history of low speed and/or unreliable service.
Our expertise lies in creating innovative, flexible and completely bespoke solutions to our clients, with our experienced team of engineers taking a creative approach to solving our customers’ problems.
We have relationships with several broadband service providers that ensure we can help your business to get the internet connectivity it needs.
We also have vast experience of delivering large-scale solutions to business parks and organisations like the NHS, managing the whole process from planning and designing systems to sourcing equipment, installation and deployment, post-installation support and the ongoing maintenance of your assets.
Our dedicated support team also provides knowledgeable and responsive round-the-clock support to ensure any issues are dealt with swiftly and effectively.
To discuss your options and find out how we might be able to help, get in touch today. Contact us or give us a call on 03333 052101.