Only 20 per cent of South West firms have access to 5G

The South West is lagging behind when it comes to 5G connectivity for businesses, according to Swindon-based telecommunications firm Excalibur.

While 45 per cent of businesses in England have access to 5G, in the South West the figure is under half that, at 20 per cent.

Research by the firm, using figures from Ofcom and the Office for National Statistics, suggests the region's businesses – mainly outside its urban centres – are missing out.

5G connectivity scores were calculated by averaging the number of Ofcom 5G tests and the 5G success rate, with the top score being 100.

East Bristol and Bristol city centre scored highly, with 97.3/100 and 89.7/100 coverage respectively.

Bath scored 78.9/100. Meanwhile South Bristol languished behind its urban neighbours at 31.9/100.

Swindon had a connectivity success rate of 100 percent, but as this was only over four tests it dragged the town's score down to 4.3/100, equating to the eighth worst score in the UK.

And coverage dropped considerably for businesses in South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire with "little or no 5G service" available to businesses in Salisbury.

“It is absolutely crucial for businesses to have good connectivity, and for such a large amount of companies in the region to be at a disadvantage is a fundamental issue," said Excalibur CEO Peter Boucher.

"The expectation and standard is so much higher for video calls and online collaboration nowadays that for things to be subpar can have a really serious impact on the reputation of a business and also their productivity.

“Thankfully 5G will be continued to roll out, and the playing field will eventually become more even, but until then it’s imperative to make sure that companies 4G connections are as strong as they can be to keep up with the constantly moving and changing world, which is now mostly online.”