Thames Valley: CityFibre calls on property sector to help boost connectivity

CityFibre has called on Thames Valley’s commercial property sector to get ahead of industry trends and help build Gigabit Britain

Access to quality digital infrastructure is now so important to commercial tenants in the Thames Valley that almost nine in 10 IT decision makers wouldn’t even consider signing the dotted line on a new lease before checking out a premise’s connectivity, according to new research.

UK full-fibre infrastructure provider CityFibre will unveil the results of its research this week. The study, conducted on CityFibre’s behalf by Censuswide in Maidenhead, Reading, Bracknell and Slough, revealed more than half (54%) of commercial tenants surveyed wouldn’t even view premises without checking broadband speeds and capabilities first, while almost a third would check before progressing to contract (32%).

The most digitally savvy sectors – those that prioritise quality internet connectivity when looking for new business space – included legal, finance and IT & telecoms (88%, 95% and 96% respectively).

These figures, according to CityFibre’s head of city development, Andy Starnes, are indicative of the role digital technology continues to play in transforming the way we work and conduct business, as well as the postcode lottery many businesses still experience in terms of the speeds and reliability they can access in different locations across the UK.

Starnes explained: “Businesses need to stay ahead of the competition, so the ability to adopt new technologies and thrive digitally is critical. With the Thames Valley boasting such a strong digital economy, connectivity really is as important as a prime location.

“However, decent connectivity is still patchy, which means businesses still cannot take it for granted. Commercial property developers have a role to play in bringing better connections to our businesses and helping to reverse the make-do-and-mend trend that has seen the nation fall to 35^th place in global broadband speed rankings.

“With less than 4% of premises currently able to say they have a full-fibre connection, we have a lot of work to do to catch up.”