Greater connectivity to aid businesses like Dontyne Systems

Before being elected leader of the Conservative party, one of Boris Johnson’s key pledges was to “level up” broadband across the country, ensuring the entire UK had access to full fibre broadband by 2025. While the specific date of this plan was abandoned in October 2019, ministers have maintained that their aim is to roll out “gigabit-capable” speeds.

These pledges, coupled with efforts to establish a 5G infrastructure network, have thrust connectivity into the limelight.

In January 2019, government figures suggested that only 7.1 per cent of the UK had full fibre coverage. Progress has been made since then, with Openreach aiming to install this broadband to 80,000 homes a month. Critics of the government’s timetable have stated that it would be easier, especially in rural areas, for residents to connect to a wireless 5G network.

This possibility has been dominating headlines after Johnson announced on Wednesday that Huawei, a telecommunications company linked to the Chinese state, will be allowed to construct park of the UK’s 5G network. In order to try and compromise with the vocal opponents to this decision, Johnson decided that Huawei would be restricted to “non-core” parts of the network and will have no more than 35 per cent of market share.

5G is already available in some densely-populated areas but the construction of a wider national network will allow for many more people, and businesses, to benefit from its faster speeds.

As transactions are increasingly digitised, the importance of reliable and efficient connectivity has never been greater. This is most true for those in the software sector.

The development of Dontyne Systems, who analyse, prototype and test gearing systems, was significantly supported by improving network capacity. In 2006, they created the Gear Production Suite software programme, a platform for integrating design and manufacturing processes to ensure more efficient production.

Writing in The Parliamentary Review, Dr Mike Fish, one of the founders of the business, spoke of the benefits of “high-speed data flow” and improvements to internet connectivity, factors which helped to “support the software from our offices, thereby improving support and reducing costs for us and the customer.”

The ability to harness the power of this connectivity fuelled the company’s growth. The company’s Gear Production Suite software has since been installed over 150 times in 15 countries, generating an annual turnover of £750,000.

There is no doubt that greater connectivity and improved network performance will benefit businesses around the country and Dontyne Systems provide a clear care study in the positive effect these changes can have.