The Isle of Man’s first 4G network was launched in July 2014 following a ?10million investment in superfast mobile broadband technology by Manx Telecom. Business News talks to the company’s Marketing Director, David Smith, about the impact which 4G has had on how businesses use mobile broadband, and the opportunities it opens for the future of communications on the island.

Twelve months on from its launch, how has 4G changed the way businesses on the Island are using mobile broadband? “It’s made a huge difference,” says Mr Smith. “The superfast speeds of 4G mean that it’s now possible to create a truly mobile working environment – especially when combined with a cloud solution. 4G is allowing many companies to boost employees’ productivity because it’s now possible to use mobile broadband in the same way as they use fixed line broadband. Whether it’s using 4G for mobile video conferencing, or to upload and download important files when visiting a customer, 4G can save time and money. For small and medium sized enterprises, upgrading to 4G can be a simple and cost-effective way to improve efficiency, and deliver important benefits for clients by improving communications and customer service.”

With 4G, real-time connections to head office are effortless, which means that it’s possible to upload and download files from any location. For example, it eliminates delays in the ordering and invoicing process for sales teams visiting customers, and makes it possible to upload massive files, such as graphic designs, to show customers new products or marketing campaigns.

One of many examples of how it is being used is the Milan Veterinary Practice which has clinics in Douglas, Castletown and Peel. The practice, which has 19 staff including seven vets, has three 4G enabled tablet devices and two smartphones. Ray Cox, Practice Principal, says that it has made a massive difference in improving efficiency and customer service. “We use 4G to send and receive large image files such as X-ray images or photos of animals with skin conditions which can be difficult to diagnose. Being able to send these images from any location to colleagues, or to veterinary experts off-Island for a second opinion, can significantly reduce the time it takes to make the correct diagnosis, and therefore allows us to provide even better customer service. X-ray images in particular are very large files and used to take a long time to upload and download. Now, with 4G, a vet can be out in our stable yard discussing treatment for an injured horse with its owner, and they can see high-definition X-ray images sent via 4G to a tablet device just minutes after the X-ray has been processed.”

4G is not just helping individual businesses, says David Smith, it’s also playing an important role in keeping the Isle of Man in the technology fast lane. “Many inward investors have a world class communications infrastructure at the top of their list of priorities when analysing the advantages of international business centres. 4G is now accepted as the international standard for mobile broadband, it’s a level of technology that is expected by all leading businesses. Enabling the Isle of Man to keep pace with rival jurisdictions was a key factor in Manx Telecom’s decision to invest in 4G. However, because mobile technology develops so quickly, we partnered with mobile technology leaders Huawei to construct a state of the art network which is future proof.”

So, if 4G is delivering advantages now, what opportunities does it open up in the years ahead? “In the short to medium term we expect more and more businesses to upgrade to 4G as they realise how it can improve efficiency. In time, 4G will become an essential service for businesses in all sectors, but we will only see its full impact over the next few years as we continue to help our business customers to unlock the potential of this amazing technology. The world class 4G network we have built in partnership with Huawei enables us to develop a range of truly innovative products and services which will seamlessly combine the best of both mobile and fixed line technology. 4G is part of a fantastic future – and everyone at Manx Telecom is very proud that we are playing our part in making the future happen – and that’s good for us, good for business, and the island.”

Perhaps the greatest legacy of 4G will be the way in which it complements the lifestyle and work/life balance which is one of the island’s USP’s in attracting businesses to start-up or relocate here. “The work/life balance which the Isle of Man can offer is a significant factor in attracting entrepreneurs and inward investors. People here like to work hard and play hard, so their time is precious. 4G is a great example of how technology can enable everyone to make more efficient use of their time. Fast, reliable downloads, 99% population coverage and easy connection to back-office systems, mean that our 4G business customers can work effectively and efficiently wherever they happen to be. 4G really does have the potential to change the way we all manage our work/life balance – and this can only enhance the appeal of the Isle of Man as an international business centre in the years ahead.”

BOX OUT: The future of mobile: Science fiction meets science fact

Looking further ahead, developments in mobile technology will be a key to the creation of the ‘internet of things’ often referred to by futurologists. The ‘internet of things’ envisions a world in which we will live in ‘smart cities’ where all electronic devices and systems are interconnected – everything from household appliances, to vehicles, road and rail infrastructure, all the systems in buildings such as heating, air con, and even medical devices used to monitor a patient’s health. It will mean a massive increase in the flow of data, and much of it will have to be transmitted via mobile networks.

To an extent, the dawn of this new era is already here. Today, it’s possible to use mobile devices to remotely control and monitor all kinds of systems and devices. In the health sector there are innovative products such as the HoIP Pebbell GPS Alarm (made by one of Manx Telecom’s UK partners) which are being trialled here on the island to help care for dementia patients – and doctors are already using many other smart devices to monitor some aspects of patients’ health. But this is only the beginning. In the future, wearable devices could – for example – alert our GP about any number health problems. As technology develops, the internet of things could expand into realms which were once only envisaged in science fiction.

Huawei, the partner which Manx Telecom chose to construct its 4G network, are global leaders in mobile technology and are already looking at the potential of 5G networks which could be used to control driverless cars, industrial automation and any number of other applications for robotic devices and monitoring systems. Mobile technology will be a key to future applications of person-to-person and person-to-machine connectivity.

However, the next generation of mobile networks will need to provide what technical experts call ‘lower latency’. This means the time delay between a command and an action. Today, with 4G, you can tap your mobile screen to change the setting on the heating system at your place of work, and it may only take a fraction of a second for that command to be actioned. But for applications such as those envisioned by Huawei, there will have to be a virtually instantaneous response. In technical terms, that would require a latency of one thousandth of a second – that speed is imperceptible to the human eye when compared to the latency of today’s leading mobile networks, but it’s actually around 50 times faster than 4G. But mobile technology is developing so fast that one day, in the not so distant future, a surgeon in London could control a robotic device to operate on a patient on the other side of the world – and all thanks to a mobile network.