We’re laying the foundations for emerging technologies like powerful AI applications, the ubiquitous Internet of Things and edge computing. A major part of that job is building robust networks that can not only handle such data-heavy innovations but also keep them secure.
We know that a cyber attack, a supply chain failure, or even an unexpected change in regulations can create turbulence in an organisation, impacting customer confidence, brand and reputation, not to mention the bottom line.
Whether you’re a bank, a retailer or healthcare trust, robust, secure networks and uninterrupted connectivity are the backbone of resiliency in a fast-moving world. Connectivity does more than just keep you online, it gives you agility to seize opportunities and the chance to respond quickly if things go wrong.
Reliability, security and speed in connectivity
In 2025, the UK’s digital economy is hyper-connected. Every product, service and transaction relies on the smooth flow of data between vast groups of partners, suppliers and customers.
Interconnectedness is a growth enabler, but it also creates risk. Cyber threats have grown in number and are more sophisticated than ever, while no organisation is too small or too specialised to find itself a target.
According to our Cyber Agile Organisation Report, published earlier this year, a third of UK organisations now describe the severity of attacks they’ve experienced as ‘high’ or ‘very high’. The consequences of this can be far-reaching, from the cost of recovery to reputational damage and loss of customer trust.
But our new Future Unlocked research also shows the opportunity at hand: connectivity investments and connectivity-driven productivity improvements could unlock £179 billion in additional value for the British economy, that’s equivalent to 6% of the UK’s GDP in 2024.
To help unlock this opportunity, businesses should remember three fundamentals of connectivity: reliability, security and speed. A reliable network keeps your operations running no matter what; a secure network protects sensitive data and shields you from unwelcome intrusions; a fast network allows you to make the most of emerging technologies, from cloud computing to artificial intelligence.
When these elements work in harmony, the result is a resilient business that’s free to experiment, innovate and collaborate. But, if any of them are missing, your business could become vulnerable.
Smarter networks
A modern network should be intelligent enough to sense when something is wrong and flexible enough to adapt in real time. We’re using AI and automation to monitor network health continuously, learning from patterns of behaviour to spot anomalies before they become problems.
Issues can often be identified and fixed before they affect customer experience or internal teamwork, for example. It’s a shift from reacting to incidents to a prevention-first approach.
Smart routing (which moves traffic to avoid congested parts of your network) keeps data flowing even when part of the network is under strain, while predictive analytics help identify risks such as potential hardware failures or environmental damage.
For instance, we use drone surveys to assess how weather and terrain could affect critical sites, helping to ensure our infrastructure remains strong even under extreme conditions. For us, resilience is about anticipation, design and always learning.
Building continuity for the digital age
Business continuity starts with robust digital infrastructure. Essential steps on the path include mapping your dependencies, understanding how systems interact and ensuring your connectivity is visible and controllable.
Test responses regularly, so that if an outage or attack does occur, everyone knows what to do. A continuity plan can’t sit in a binder on a shelf; it must be active, dynamic and preferably digital-first.
Whether it’s supporting hybrid working, connecting multi-cloud environments or enabling AI at scale, our infrastructure is built to adapt as your needs evolve, combining connectivity, visibility and control to give businesses confidence that their systems will run optimally, regardless of the pressures that arise.
In turbulent times, the question is how you can make your infrastructure work smarter for you. Getting the right connectivity for your business is a big piece of the puzzle, one which places security and opportunity hand in hand.
