Cradlepoint’s 2024 State of Connectivity survey reveals that despite 62% of Singaporean organisations using cellular connectivity, fixed line/ fibre network failure has caused 57% of organisations to experience 1-2 hours of downtime per week.
Fifty per cent of organisations are also already using network edge solutions to enable in-vehicle connectivity, with another 47% looking to extend their network edge solution to include in-vehicle connectivity in the next 12-24 months.
About 25% experienced 3-4 hours of downtime per week, due to fixed line/ fibre network failure over the last 12 months. These figures suggest that cellular connectivity is only being used in some organisational areas.
The survey also found that more than two-thirds of Singapore’s organisations experienced a network security attack in the last 12 months. Of those that were the target of a network security attack, nearly one-quarter suffered a major security breach which resulted in loss of data and over 14% resulted in significant company fines.
As a result, 82% of organisations surveyed in Singapore have removed or blocked applications like Zoom, WhatsApp, and others considered vulnerability risks from work devices.
The Censuswide survey revealed that sustainability plays a significant role in Singapore’s business and public sectors, with 60% of organisations agreeing that it plays a key role in their organisation's short-term and long-term goals.
The same portion of organisations agreed that increasing sustainability efforts could help improve business revenue. Fifty-nine per cent of organisations agreed that they need smarter facilities – incorporating IoT and connected devices – to operate more efficiently and sustainably.
With that, nearly one-quarter of organisations surveyed are planning to invest in cellular networks, more than 36% in Artificial Intelligence (AI)/ Machine Learning (ML), and more than one-quarter in equipment sensors, to reduce waste and make facilities more efficient in the next 12 months.
“Singapore is at the forefront when it comes to solving problems with innovative technology, and this is evident in the country’s widespread use of technologies like IoT, AI, and ML. Singapore has long been using connected robotics and other sensor-dependent technologies to support the country’s goals, whether it was social distancing during the pandemic or now, waste reduction to meet Singapore’s national Green Plan,” said Nathan McGregor, senior vice president for Asia Pacific at Cradlepoint.
Continuing interest in 5G despite concerns
Despite a positive approach to new technologies and over 94% of organisations surveyed considering 5G wireless connectivity to drive innovation and digital transformation, some organisations still have questions about investing in 5G.
More than 35% of organisations reported a perceived shortage of skills required to deploy and maintain a fixed and wireless network as a deterrent to 5G investment, while one-third of organisations reported concerns over the ability to secure connectivity across the enterprise, perception of costs, and a perceived lack of clear ROI as barriers to 5G investment.
“Organisations that measure the cost to business not just on initial investment but also on uptime, response time, customer satisfaction, reach and diverse solution offerings will quickly realise how 5G business value impacts their bottom line,” McGregor said.
