Most businesses would pay extra for employees to be better connected

With the majority of staff set to work remotely for at least another year, businesses have identified an urgent need to improve connectivity.

According to a report from communications provider Daisy Corporate Services (DCS), connectivity woes are among the most significant headaches for remote workers, with four in ten having to share a broadband connection at home.

Based on a poll of 350 businesses in both public and private sectors, the report found that 85% expect up to half of the workforce to remain remote for at least another year. With connection issues proving untenable, more than two thirds (68%) are interested in providing their employees with a dedicated, managed connection to their corporate network.

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Broadband connectivity woes

According to Richard Beeston, Product Director at DCS, while remote employees have managed to get by with their existing internet setups so far, cybersecurity and productivity issues are likely to drive businesses to act.

“As homeworking models mature, we’d expect to see increased investments in connectivity and security as remote access to systems, applications and data becomes the norm,” he said.

In a separate report, published last month by telecoms firm Spitfire Network Services, it was said that connectivity issues hamper the productivity of a quarter of remote workers. Further, just four percent of UK home workers have a dedicated internet connection.

DCS claims roughly 40% of organizations will increase their IT budgets this year, with 70% expecting the demand for IT support to rise.

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