It’s only been a few months since Britain voted to leave the European Union, and the terms and timeline of our exit is still unclear. There is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding Brexit so it’s hard to do anything other than speculate on how this move could impact the telecoms industry.
Although much of the coverage is given to doom and dire predictions, at 24 Seven, we have hope that it brings the opportunity for significant change and improvement for end users. Regardless of personal opinion, it’s time to show not just Europe, but the world what we can do.
We can use this as a health check for our company, staff, products and services. Are we fit and healthy to compete on a world stage? At 24 Seven we believe that progression and change is of vital importance. As a nation and as an industry, we must continue to move forward. This is the very nature of telecoms and technology, and that’s what makes it exciting. Perhaps Brexit is the shake-up that’s needed.
While part of the EU, the UK was governed by its legislature and guidelines. Brexit provides the UK with the chance to break away from external influence and to make our own decisions and improvements. It’s worth noting, however, that some of those same legislative decisions have actually provided some of the best customer-focussed initiatives in telecoms, for example, a fair deal on roaming when abroad.
Whilst still unclear, it’s possible that following Brexit, we could enjoy more tailored regulations which allow us to progress in the way that we ourselves see fit which means we could see the telecoms industry take a leap forward.
An example of this could be Universal Service Obligation (USO). This is the movement towards ensuring that people across the UK have access to basic telecoms services such as a telephone service. Brexit could provide the UK with the necessary freedom to ensure that this happens and could even progress to include advancements in internet connectivity.
We’ve often tried to encourage the government to take action towards a Britain that’s better connected, something we believe could benefit the nation immensely. As a starting point, we need to make sure we address the needs of everyone, at a basic level. Why, as an industry, are we talking 5G, when many users are still struggling along with 2G and 3G? In our opinion, connectivity is becoming a right, rather than a privilege.
Although the uncertainty of Brexit has caused some panic and disruption throughout a variety of industries, we can make this change into a positive one. We’re seeing Brexit as an opportunity for innovators, such as ourselves, to decide what the UK’s future in telecoms should look like and to make it happen. Government, regulators and industry all need to step up to the plate to make sure this happens.