Stay Connected and Carry On Working

With a quarter of the world’s population in lockdown and new UK government guidelines stating that businesses and employees should work from home where possible this undoubtedly will have an impact on networks that provide connectivity.

Millions are turning to remote working / working from home, Commsworld included, and using online collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams to “carry on working”; this increase in demand will inevitably place a strain on networks.

Nowadays society expects the same connection speeds and resiliency at home as experienced in the office, but many fail to realise that these networks may differ. Commsworld own and operate a Next Generation Network that thousands of businesses up and down the UK use for their critical voice and data, but our Network is ‘business only’, it doesn’t compete with domestic traffic.

With an increase in usage 24-7 there will be a constant peak of traffic. Popular streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube are already reducing the quality of videos to help ease the burden on networks.

So how can we get the best from our home broadband and stay connected in these difficult times?

Ofcom, a regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day has launched a national campaign “Stay Connected” to help broadband and mobile users get the most from their connections with practical tips and advice.

Some of their tips include:

1. Use your landline or wi-fi calls if you can
2. Move your router clear of other devices
3. Lower the demands on your connection
4. Try wired rather than wireless
5. Plug your router directly into your main phone socket
6. Test the speed on your broadband line
7. Get advice from your broadband provider

You can read the advice in full here.

These guidelines are simple steps anyone can take in these unprecedented times to keep connected for work, keep up to date on government and health announcements and more importantly to keep in touch with our families.