Toronto, Canada — May 23, 2023 — Cradlepoint, the global leader in cloud-delivered LTE and 5G wireless network edge solutions, has published findings from its The State of Connectivity survey in cooperation with Censuswide. According to the report, Canadian businesses have faced significant impacts from connectivity issues; 73 per cent of Canadian organizations reported at least one hour of downtime per week, and half of Canadian businesses faced higher operational costs as a result of connectivity issues in the last 12 months. One third of Canadian businesses noted loss of earnings and loss of potential business.
Businesses indicated that improved connectivity would better prepare them for future shocks with 92 per cent of Canadian respondents agreeing that good connectivity would make their company more resilient to unexpected changes (e.g. economic, political, global pandemic). This highlights how connectivity is paramount to business resilience, as well as how key decision makers are considering it a high priority for the modern enterprise. Three-quarters (74%) of Canadian organizations have made changes in the last six months to ensure their business will not be significantly affected by a major, prolonged network outage.
Adequate connectivity isn’t just crucial for organization resilience but also for addressing access inequalities across industries. The State of Connectivity survey found that more than 88 per cent of Canadian organizations think improving free connectivity will address the digital divide and eliminate disparities between poorer and richer students. Of those surveyed, 82 per cent of respondents agree that poor connectivity is holding students back from developing the skills required for the modern economy. In addition to this, 76 per cent of respondents agree that rural areas are currently being negatively impacted by lack of connectivity when it comes to medical innovation.
Sustainability initiatives have been impacted with six out of 10 Canadian organizations saying poor connectivity held back their sustainability projects in the last 12 months. More than 40 per cent of Canadian respondents agreed that 5G will ensure greater environmental sustainability through improved energy efficiency and real-time control of consumption (domestic, business and smart city), improve bandwidth (40%), and improve security (40%).
This report highlights the impact connectivity has on businesses across Canada. Having reliable connectivity enables organizations — including healthcare, manufacturing, first responders and government — to not only ensure they can manage requirements on a day-to-day basis, but to also be prepared for the unexpected. Additionally, it supports sustainability goals and, perhaps most importantly, helps to remove barriers and eliminate a digital divide. The need for investment and focus on expanding connectivity is crucial to ensure the success of Canadians.”
Jason Falovo, vice president and general manager, Canada at Cradlepoint
The State of Connectivity is based on the findings of Censuswide research of over 5,000 respondents across Canada*, U.S., Mexico, Australia, U.K., France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and Italy. Respondents were business owners, C-level executives or senior managers at businesses with over 250 employees; all were technology decision-makers
Vertical sectors polled in this report included: Building, Arts & Culture, Education, Finance, Healthcare, HR, IT & Telecoms, Legal, Manufacturing & Utilities, Retail, Catering & Leisure, Travel and Transport, Government, First Responders, Public Transportation, Automotive, Building Management, Supply Chain & Logistics, Maritime, and Agriculture.
*503 respondents in Canada
Cradlepoint enables the freedom to connect people, places, and things that drive more experiences, more ways to work, and better business results — anywhere. The company is a pioneer in Wireless WAN, offering advanced 4G and 5G routers and adapters — controlled through Cradlepoint NetCloudTM. Enterprise businesses and public sector agencies rely on Cradlepoint and its Cellular Intelligence to build a reliable, secure network wherever they need it, connecting fixed and temporary sites, vehicles, IoT devices, and remote employees. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Cradlepoint is wholly owned subsidiary of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and part of their Business Area Enterprise Wireless Solutions. It has international offices in Asia Pacific, Canada, Europe, India, and Latin America. www.cradlepoint.com
