Business today moves at the speed of light. The days when customers would wait six to eight weeks for an order to be filled and when documents were delivered by snail mail are long gone. Customer service response times and information delivery are now measured in milliseconds, and businesses that take too many seconds to respond to demands are judged harshly.
At the same time, it’s less likely that your team is all together under one roof where they can work together. Remote workers, outsourcing, and field staff are often hundreds or even thousands of miles away from the support staff who help them get things done. Your business needs fast data connections. It needs 4G LTE.
Here’s why you need 4G LTE for your business:
Massively Improved Speed
A 4G LTE network is not just incrementally faster than a 3G network — high-speed carriers like T-Mobile with 4G LTE coverage offer speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G. 4G provides uninterrupted connectivity for streaming, downloading, and video conferencing. It offers very high voice quality for phone calls as well. Upgrading to 4G means putting an end to “stuck” or pixelated images during video calls and to connectivity frustrations during voice calls or downloads.
Easier Remote Work and Better Teamwork
A fast data connection lets your remote team members use their mobile devices to access your cloud-based information at speeds that are similar to what they’d have if they were in the office. If you’re working with data connections that are slower than 4G, your staff might not be able to maintain a steady connection between their laptops and their office computers. Upgrading will eliminate those frustrations and allow personnel to have consistent access to the data that they need to get their work done.
Moreover, high-speed connections will allow your team to use video conferencing and share files so they can work together effectively as a team. Sharing remote desktops, circulating documents, and collaborating online are all much easier when everyone has a strong, stable connection.
Improved Sales and Productivity
A survey of U.S. businesses by Arthur D. Little revealed high rates of satisfaction among those who have adopted 4G LTE technology. Of those surveyed, 57 percent said that sales was the main beneficiary of the upgrade, which makes sense since sales is usually one of the most mobile functions of a business. Having high-speed access to applications and files sped up daily processes and improved productivity and profits, with 86 percent of respondents saying that they got more work done on the move after upgrading to 4G.
Faster Uploads
The download speed of 4G gets plenty of attention, but upload speeds are quite a bit faster than 3G as well. For staff who need to upload high-resolution images, videos, spreadsheets, and other high-data files to the office server, those faster upload speeds are a huge time saver. Lots of potentially productive time gets lost while people’s computers are tied up with lengthy uploads, so this is a huge win in terms of freeing up staff time.
Can Outrun Wi-Fi
With the advent of 4G, digital data can now rival Wi-Fi in terms of speed. 4G can reach download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps. Cable speeds are commonly between 4 and 12 Mbps. This means that, for the first time, cellular data can replace Wi-Fi as your primary means of connecting and transferring data. Simple plug-and-play 4G mini towers can act as routers in homes and offices, for instance.
More Coverage
Wi-Fi systems tie people down to the routers and hotspots that broadcast them, which tend to cover very small areas. 4G offers coverage ranges of 30 miles or more, so users have much more freedom to move about and enjoy complete connectivity. For mobile staff, that can be a life-changing difference in how they are able to manage their time.
Better Security
Wi-Fi networks have issues when it comes to network security, particularly when paired with a mobile device. 4G networks offer more privacy and security through built-in features such as encryption and narrowly-defined signal transfers that make them inherently more secure than Wi-Fi. 4G networks have adopted and enhanced the security protocols of their 3G and 2G predecessors.
Fast Setup
4G systems can replace wired connections for businesses with multiple locations and are quick and easy to set up. If your business has many branches, stores, or locations, it could take weeks to set up wired point-of-sale devices that can connect to your central office inventory systems. But a 4G system can be set up within just a few hours and doesn’t require any wiring or hardware. The system can handle credit card processing, voice over IP phones, and inventory management. For fast-growing chains, this is a huge advantage.
Temporary Setups
Businesses in the construction and design industry often need to set up temporary connections at construction sites or client offices that will need to transfer graphic images, 3D CAD images, and other massive files. A 4G network can be set up instantly and provide the fast, secure connections that these locations need without spending lots of money or hauling lots of equipment.
The introduction of 4G LTE technology offers many advantages to businesses. Having high-speed connections without depending on Wi-Fi improves communication and teamwork, allows remote workers to be just as productive as they would be in the office, and provides improved security and rapid setup for networking operations.