Everyone craves connectivity
We aren’t making a sweeping statement on social norms or the essence of human-to-human relationships. Rather, it’s a comment on how people are increasingly wanting access to assets when they’re away from the office. Whether at home or on the move, we want to stay connected.
63% of the workforce work remotely all the time or only some of the time. For Gamma’s Chief Marketing and Product Officer Chris Wade, “mobile, obviously, is the key enabler of that”. As part of our ongoing Future Visions series, he sat down with Gamma’s CTO Colin Lees to talk about the evolving mobile landscape.
The push for ubiquitous coverage
To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes and dropped calls”. There are times when data connections just don’t work, and suddenly that call ends abruptly. We’re pretty sure everyone has suffered through the pain of trying to join a Teams call while on the train…
For Colin, that ubiquitous coverage, where “5G and voice just works”, is essential to help people “really trust the service on a mobile”. More needs to be done to “move beyond the patchy connectivity” and provide that stable network. Without it, how can we be truly mobile?
From a Gamma perspective, the first thing that needs to be done is working with more than one mobile operator as a partner. Offering multiple networks through the Gamma portal and portfolio will give people greater choice in how they stay connected. If businesses can rely on different networks across different parts of the country, then that constant connectivity can be achieved.
A major part of that push for connectivity rests with SIMs, eSIMs and the impending launch of FUSION IoT.
“A two-pronged solution to different problems”
When operating in remote rural areas, connectivity can be found to be lacking. If a van has been sent out to rescue a broken-down vehicle, those technicians need instant access to critical pieces of data. If one network isn’t well covered in one area, then that connectivity must move to another network.
The coverage enabled through that SIM’s capability to “talk to everything… is incredibly powerful”. As Chris says, it’s integral for “critical pieces of infrastructure… [to] stay connected wherever [it] happens to be based”. Those foundations allow data to be transmitted backwards and forwards without any threat of disruption.
Internet of Things (IoT) providers are also looking to support the machine-to-machine translation of information. Smart cities are becoming more prominent, and by 2030, the top 750 smart cities will generate two-thirds of the world’s GDP. Automated building management and intelligent traffic routing systems are all part of that data-driven IoT infrastructure.
Chris uses the example of faulty streetlights and having to ask the council for assistance. In remote areas, it can be difficult to get timely support, but a “streetlight that can phone home” can make a huge difference. Councils don’t have to rely on duplicative coverage and instead can connect more devices than ever before to “[solve] problems in a very different way”.
At a time when councils are strapped for cash (1 in 4 councils are likely to apply for bailout agreements in the next two years), smart solutions can be game-changing. Instead of driving from lamp post to lamp post, engineers know where their services are needed to save both time and money. For Chris, “that’s the kind of solution which I think IoT solves”.
Through IoT, we have the power to connect multiple places through multiple ways, while enabling an automated, seamless experience.
Embedding that mobile experience
On the other side of the FUSION IoT coin are those SIM and eSIM packages. Gamma’s own mobile partnerships, combined with that IoT aspect, provides “that always connected data connection”. What Colin is currently focusing on is the challenge of embedding that mobile experience into Gamma’s own product portfolio.
Colin uses the example of ANYWHERE for iPECS. That smart SIM routes business call to and from any device, providing a “deeper integration… [and] experience” of being able to “walk out the door and keep transacting”. Whether it’s a physical SIM or an eSIM, that added flexibility, backed by constant connectivity, changes the way that businesses communicate.
Then there’s the recent development in PhoneLine+. This variation, PhoneLine+ Anywhere, allows users to connect through an eSIM and provide mobile-first functionality. “You never miss a call for your business”, as that eSIM utilises a multi-operator network that keeps devices connected.
What’s underpinning all of that is FUSION IoT. It provides “data connectivity all of the time” that improves the mobility factor of that broader portfolio. For Colin, those improvements “will help people adopt this wave of connectivity as it comes through”.
Separating contracts and devices
“That’s actually quite important… in the context of a business”.
Chris is certainly right there. Businesses want that combination of a “robust [and] reliable” contract alongside a specific set of devices. Providers that support customers from “very simple shops… to people who need the most ruggedised devices” must give them the capability and flexibility to separate those two aspects.
Colin mentions how businesses are tending to buy devices and negotiate contracts separately. With devices now working for much longer than the previous 12/24-month cycle, it makes economical sense to separate them from that data and airtime contract. Businesses have the capability to upgrade devices, when necessary, while running that previously agreed contract that covers data connectivity.
It’s another pivotal way in helping to keep businesses connected in 2025 and beyond.
Mobile connectivity moving forward
Ubiquitous coverage. Seamless integration. Separation of device and contract.
Those are the three trends to look out for as the mobile landscape evolves. Yes, it’s a “fast moving part of the industry”, but knowing how to better enable that mobile connectivity is critical for businesses moving forward. Gamma’s own focus on launching FUSION IoT and integrating more mobile operators into the ecosystem will certainly make a crucial difference.
Not even the previously mentioned Benjamin Franklin could better summarise the impending mobile revolution more perfectly than Colin Lees. It “will be really, really good”.