Rural connection: Getting better business mobile connectivity off the beaten track

With telecoms and tech companies racing each other to deliver 5G – predicted to be 100 times faster than the current 4G technology – you’d be forgiven for thinking we have already perfected 4G or even 3G connectivity. 

While so many brands and businesses are focused on speed alone there are, however, still many out there focused on perfecting mobile connectivity, rather than simply pushing to make it faster. Below we explore key steps in the right direction—from futuristic technologies to disruptive networks, to simple tips and tricks to improve mobile connection for you and your business.

 Disruptor network operators

When it comes to connecting customers, it is in the interest of household-name network operators to prioritise big cities and densely populated areas—but this has opened up the floor to disruptive operators that are challenging the status quo. Truphone, for instance, was born out of a desire to connect where cellular providers could not reach. Today, we develop bespoke mobile plans for business that are tailored to specific locations. You tell us where you need to be connected, not the other way around.

If you or your business is experiencing less-than-perfect mobile connectivity, it’s definitely worth shopping around for a mobile network operator that focuses on connecting anyone and everyone—not just city-dwellers. The breadth and variety of operators might surprise you! 

Breaking new ground

It’s not just the smaller, disruptor brands that are reaching out to underserved areas. Some of the biggest names in tech are putting rural connectivity high on the agenda. Facebook is one such name that has showcased a real interest in connecting the 4 billion people who are not currently online. Back in 2016, Facebook completed the first successful flight of Aquila—its solar-powered plane that will beam internet to remote parts of the world. And this January, the tech giant was reportedly furthering this endeavour through a partnership with Airbus. 

Similarly, Google’s Loon – a project that sees the company partner with mobile network operators globally to expand the reach of their LTE service – uses massive balloons flying 20 km up in the stratosphere to reach poorly connected areas of the world.

While this might all sound like the technology of tomorrow, major investment is being made in these kinds of technologies today. It might not be so long before your own mobile connectivity goes sky high. 

Tips and tricks  

While the future of connectivity is on the horizon, there are plenty of smaller measures you can take right now to give your mobile business connection a boost. If it’s just an occasional leg-up that you need, you can purchase internet boosters and portable Wi-Fi hotspots that improve on your standard connectivity, both in your home and on the move. You can leave the whole holding-your-phone-above-your-head thing back in the ‘00s.