- Mobile and 4G technology adoption could reduce missed primary and secondary care appointments by 65%, saving £585million annually for NHS
- Social housing set to benefit, with construction sites connected to 4G in three days rather than waiting more than a month for broadband, enabling more homes to be built more quickly
- Staffordshire Police Force says deploying mobile devices could save 250,000 hours of front line staff time per year, the equivalent of more than 100 officers on the beat
- EE launches new business and public sector focused products to drive economic impact of 4G, including Connected Vehicle, Connected Health and first in new Connected Camera range
28th October 2015 – EE today announced a new range of products for businesses aimed at connecting workers, their customers, and machines as the Internet of Things (IoT) has an increasing impact on business.
EE now has more than half a million business and public sector organisation accounts, 75% of which are on 4G. In 2015, EE has been working with customers to outline the impact that 4G adoption is having on Britain’s most important public services.
Deployments of new mobile technologies, including Connected Vehicle, 4G Rapid Site, and Connected Health, show the significant impact of enhanced connectivity on vital UK services and some of the most pressing issues facing the UK today. 4G is helping to ease the pressure that many organisations are facing to deliver better public services, more efficiently:
- In the NHS, mobile technologies can improve communications between patients and primary/secondary care providers, potentially reducing missed and unnecessary GP and outpatient appointments by 65% and saving £585million towards reducing the current £2billion deficit
- For house builders, getting connected to 4G in up to three days rather than waiting more than a month for broadband, enabling homes to be built more quickly, more cost-effectively, and with a lower carbon footprint
- For emergency services like Staffordshire Police, deploying 4G mobile devices could save 250,000 hours of front line staff time per year, the equivalent of more than 100 officers on the beat
EE CEO Olaf Swantee says:
“We’ve shown what 4G can do for consumers, and now businesses and the public sector are using the quality and reliability of the network that we’ve built to boost the UK economy and tackle some of the biggest issues facing Britain today. The impact of 4G adoption on vital UK services is incredibly powerful. Helping the NHS and Emergency Services provide better service to the community, more cost effectively, is exactly the type of real world benefit that our world-leading mobile network enables. That’s why we’re launching our new capabilities for these sectors and helping them prepare for the IoT future where everything is connected.”
New research from EE in conjunction with the Centre for Economic & Business Review (CEBR) and YouGov estimates that the boost to UK Plc in 2015 due to efficiency and productivity gains made from 4G adoption is £8.9 billion, and set to rise each year.
Other notable trends from the EE research show that nearly half of businesses say that 4G is critical to their competitiveness in today’s business environment, and two thirds of users say that 4G has boosted their productivity by 10% or more.
Dr. Magnus Harrison, Executive Medical Director Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Emergency Medicine Consultant, says:
“Patients deserve to have the very best experience at every stage of their journey, and technology is a vital enabler for this. We must use mobile and digital technologies to break down barriers in healthcare, allowing us to better engage with our patients, to give them the most appropriate care, and to do that more efficiently and cost-effectively. Mobile-first products and services such as those from EE have the potential to deliver more connected care and the cost savings that the NHS so critically needs.”
EE already provides connectivity for NHS trusts and GPs across the country. The launch of new mobile Interactive Messaging services and trials of the Patient GP and Clinical Observation Applications will help facilitate better communication between the NHS and patients and help provide better care to patients in hospital.
Howard Topliss, CEO of Green Square – home builders for social housing – says:
“More houses, more quickly, more cost-effectively. That’s the challenge we and the industry face, and that’s the challenge that mobile is helping us to overcome. If we can get working on a site without waiting for a fixed broadband connection then we can save money and build more houses – it’s that simple. And being connected reduces contractor rates, reduces travel costs, improves carbon footprint, and gives an overall improved productivity.”
EE’s ‘4G Rapid Site’ is a fully managed service providing 4G broadband, in less than three days, to ensure that construction firms do not have to wait to have a fixed broadband line installed and provisioned, which takes a month or more, on average.
Matthew Ellis, Police and Crime Commissioner, Staffordshire, says:
“My aspiration is for Staffordshire to be the most technologically advanced police service by 2016. Fast, reliable connectivity in the field means officers can spend more time in the community – allowing them to access critical systems remotely and cut the time they spend on administrative tasks. The ongoing roll-out of mobile technology to officers is helping to free up an extra 250,000 hours of police time to be out on the beat, the equivalent of over an extra 100 officers on duty. Deploying 4G connected devices has already boosted efficiency, in some cases allowing officers to cut administrative time on jobs that could take days down to minutes. By providing high speed connectivity in vehicles as well, we’ll be able to turn their police vehicles into hotspots – giving officers, support teams, and in the future partners, vital access to information on the move.”
Connected Vehicle from EE integrates an industrial 4G router and powerful high gain antenna into cars and vans, turning them into wireless hotspots that can connect any device, from laptops and tablets in utility vehicles to EKG machines in ambulances.
New 4G Streaming Cameras from EE
Following the success of the 4GEE Action Cam, EE is launching a new product in the camera portfolio: the 4GEE Capture Cam, a 4G streaming camera for both consumers and businesses. Lightweight and wearable, Capture Cam allows businesses to stream high definition video wherever they are to their customers, partners and colleagues, and consumers to share with friends and family.
The first businesses to use 4GEE Capture Cam include Swinley Bike Hub Mountain Biking Centre in Berkshire adding real-time video to their coaching and training sessions, and online estate agent eMoov live streaming property viewings to potential buyers. EE will be building on this range of cameras for businesses in the coming year, with more details to come in 2016.
Hassle Free Public WiFi
Providing WiFi connectivity to customers, employees, and visitors is critical to many businesses, but there are complex regulatory requirements that businesses need to adhere to. EE is taking away the hassle and risk with 4G Public WiFi In A Box, providing plug-and-play, regulatory compliant 4G WiFi that businesses can safely provide to their customers.
EE Connect IoT platform
In September 2015 EE launched the EE Connect platform, the UK’s first 4G-capable, dedicated IoT platform for businesses, enabling customers to connect, manage and report on millions of connections, in the UK and around the world. Royal Mail Group were announced last week as the first major customer of the new platform.
The EE Network continues to grow – connecting more areas with faster speeds
4G from EE is now available in 666 large towns and cities, as well as more than 6,900 villages and small towns as roll out into rural areas continues. 93% of the UK population now has access to the UK’s fastest 4G network. EE is also continuing to roll out ‘double speed’ 4G, which now covers 75% of the population, and 4G+ (LTE-A), which is widely available for mobile users with the latest smartphones out and about in central London.
Connected Consumer
The 4GEE Capture Cam will be made available on plans for consumers in the coming weeks. The lightweight and wearable device helps take sharing to a whole new level by letting users share all the fun moments in life with friends and family. EE will also be shortly launching EE Pet Pal, a new connected device that will allow customers to makes sure they don’t lose track of their four-legged friends. Further details on EE Pet Pal will be revealed soon.
And with Christmas around the corner, EE is launching two festive offers on the 28th October allowing consumers to pick the perfect connected gift for a loved one. Customers will be able to choose from a huge range of phones on pay as you go – including the Samsung Core Prime, tablets including the Robin from EE, and connected products like the 4GEE Action Cam or Buzzard 2 In-Car Wi-Fi – and receive 500MB of free data every month for a whole year. Existing pay monthly mobile customers can also receive 10% off every month when adding a new pay monthly tablet, 4GEE WiFi or selected smartphone or SIM plan to their existing account. For full details and terms and conditions for the new Christmas offers, please see ee.co.uk