Mobile working practices can make a big difference to employees and the companies they work for.
Using smartphones, tablets and laptops, employees can undertake productive work from a wider variety of locations – not merely the traditional office setting.
All they need is a web-enabled mobile device and access to the interent.
Unless they are within reach of a wireless broadband hotspot, mobile workers require 3G connectivity to access the internet.
And this means locating themselves in an area covered by their mobile broadband provider”s network.
At times this can prove problematic – for instance when a train is travelling through the countryside – meaning that mobile workers find themselves cut off from the internet.
The future launch of 4G services in the UK – set to take place in 2013 or 2014 – should help eliminate this concern for many mobile workers, allowing them to be more productive on the move.
Ofcom is set to auction off spectrum in the 800MHz and 2.6GHz frequency bands later this year, and those hoping to offer 4G services must commit to wider coverage.
One of the providers to be allocated spectrum will be required to offer 4G super-fast broadband will be required to provide connectivity across 98 per cent of the UK.
And this should help eliminate many of the broadband not-spots which have plagued mobile workers in the past.
The UK has been slower than many of its rivals to embrace next-generation mobile broadband.
But as and when 4G services do become available, employers and their workers are sure to reap the benefits.
