Firmstep Blog Is the public sector missing out on mobile connectivity advantages?

New research carried out by Vodafone and YouGov has found that, despite greater channel shift and use of mobile devices in the workplace, only 8% of public sector frontline workers are equipped with 4G mobile connectivity.Of the 1401 senior decision makers surveyed, 42% lacked knowledge of the benefits of 4G technology, while 30% said that the perceived cost was the one of the main reasons for not adopting it. At the same time, 54% acknowledged that having this faster connectivity for uploading and downloading files and applications was important to their organisation.Faster mobile connectivity can help public sector bodies to improve the services they provide to citizens. In particular, frontline workers who deal directly with the public every day, such as police officers, nurses and social workers, can benefit from the ability to send communications and access important information more quickly on the go.Public sector organisations need to equip their staff with the tools and skills to be able to access the full benefits of mobile and digital technology. Firmstep customer Scarborough Council, for example, recently launched a handyman service that allows elderly and vulnerable residents to have minor home improvements and repairs carried out for them. Using Firmstep solutions, the council has created a shared digital workspace for the service that can be accessed by all agencies via a PC, tablet or smartphone. Staff who visit the homes are equipped with tablets and all stages of the delivery process are automated, which has allowed the organisation to action more referrals more quickly while reducing administration costs.With the public sector under pressure to become more efficient and customers nowadays expecting instant solutions, organisations need to utilise the technology that is available to improve the way in which staff work and deliver faster and more connected services.