CONNECTED BRITAIN 2020: Ericsson described digitalisation as an important pillar to cope with challenges stemming from the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, pointing to increased customer expectations for continued digital transformation in the UK following the pandemic.

In a keynote, Ericsson’s VP of Network and Managed Services for Europe and Latin America Christian Leon stated countries with higher levels of digitalisation had coped better during lockdowns imposed to confine the pandemic.

He described “a strong 5G telecom infrastructure” as the backbone of digitalisation in the UK, noting the population’s access to the technology was bested only by Switzerland in Europe.

But he urged further investment in the technology to keep the UK in a leading position and bridge the digital divide.

Fixed wireless access could deliver high-speed connectivity to households currently lacking broadband access, while industries stand to gain in terms of cost reductions, with Leon predicting site management outlay could be lowered by 20 per cent and overall maintenance expenses by 10 per cent.