5G connectivity enables change for the better in Irish public sector

Irish public sector organisations are investing in digital transformation at the same time as pivoting to hybrid working models. This has seen them become increasingly reliant on high-speed data connectivity, according to Ken McGrath, head of public sector sales with Three Ireland.

“We have observed widespread adoption of 5G as a result,” he says. “Digital transformation cannot exist without network access and associated flexibility. And with more people working remotely than ever, there is congestion in broadband services. That makes 5G an essential part of the required infrastructure.”

5G service represents a vast improvement on earlier technologies, McGrath explains. “Ten times faster than its 4G predecessor, Amarach has projected that the economic potential of 5G in Ireland will equate to €12 billion of GDP by 2030 – that’s €2.50 for every €1 invested in it,” he says. “Three Ireland is playing an important role by creating Ireland’s fastest mobile network and we take pride in it. Fundamentally, for Three, this is all about the strength of our network. For instance, our 4G network coverage has exceeded 99 per cent and 5G coverage has increased to over 85 per cent. Three’s 5G broadband is now available to more than 1.7 million homes and businesses across Ireland, almost double the level reached at the beginning of last year.”

The advantages of 5G are clear, according to McGrath. They include enhanced mobile broadband which delivers wired speeds via wireless access, ensuring enhanced agility, flexibility for deployment solutions and, ultimately, increased productivity for those working remotely. 5G also brings low latency and greater bandwidth to allow public and private-sector organisations to transform, as well as enhancing day-to-day connectivity for users.

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Three has been named Ireland’s fastest 5G network for the fourth consecutive time and fastest mobile network for the fifth consecutive time by Ookla, the global leader in broadband network intelligence. The results are based on analysis of tests carried out in the second half of 2022. Three’s 5G service achieved a speed score of 179.18 Mbps, with median download speeds of 197.19 Mbps and median upload speeds of 17.60 Mbps.

Those speeds and wide geographic coverage support the shift to new ways of working. “Enhanced connectivity is all about positive change and there is significant potential within the public sector,” McGrath notes. “For example, this means that people can work flexibly on project teams while simultaneously enjoying enhanced work-life balance.”

Connectivity enabling vital services

The technology came into its own during the Covid lockdowns. “Mobile broadband connectivity enabled many public sector and voluntary organisations to access the tools to continue to provide vital services to clients,” says McGrath.

One example of those solutions in action was Three’s support for mental health charity Aware to remain operational during the pandemic. Under normal circumstances, Aware volunteers fielded inbound calls from a centrally located contact centre. Public health restrictions during the pandemic meant that volunteers could no longer attend headquarters to receive calls.

As a solution, 3Connect – Three’s cloud-based telephony system – allowed Aware to route calls securely to volunteers via an app, thereby avoiding service disruption. “Through the connectivity and associated solutions that Three Ireland provided, Aware personnel were able to continue to receive those calls. This served to increase Aware’s geographic footprint, meaning that its people could operate effectively from anywhere,” says McGrath.

“More broadly, we have seen video conferencing tools being deployed by organisations to enable working from home. Wireless broadband services deliver seamless connectivity to ensure interactions equivalent to an office environment.”

And that power and capability is now available to all Three customers at no extra cost. The company announced in January that access to its 5G network was free across mobile plans for all new customers, with the free 5G service being introduced for existing customers on a phased basis over the next few months.

Peace of mind with a mobile threat defence solution

Security is a key issue for public sector customers, according to McGrath. “It is definitely top of mind. Because they are public-facing organisations and because of the nature of the services they provide they tend to advertise staff members’ names and email addresses and so on. We have seen a proliferation of phishing and malware attacks as a result. The attack surface has definitely broadened.”

And the cybercriminals only need one error to get into a network. “If people are working remotely from home, it can be something as simple as a child clicking on the wrong link. We offer 3Mobile Protect, a mobile threat defence solution for mobile devices and tablets. It ensures people are protected in the right way and doesn’t compromise their personal privacy. The strength of 3Mobile Protect stems from the absence of compromise when it comes to security on a device, ensuring that when an employee is connecting to the internet or receives a communication via the internet, they are not inadvertently exposed to a threat vector.”

The only limit really is to come up with the right questions; we have the data to answer them

—  Ken McGrath

McGrath believes we are only at the beginning of a journey when it comes to unlocking the potential use cases for 5G. “People are still trying to figure it out,” he says. “Of course, it can help us do things faster and more productively but the possibilities beyond that are almost limitless. When applied to the internet of things it will mean that anything that can be connected will be connected and that will enable the creation of smart cities which offer far better quality of life to citizens. We can also leverage the fully anonymised data from our network to provide insights on people and traffic movements to local authorities and other public sector organisations to assist them in areas like road planning and other mobility initiatives. The only limit really is to come up with the right questions; we have the data to answer them.”

But it’s not just about technology. “It really is about the people,” says McGrath. “The team here is highly motivated to deliver the best possible experience to our customers. Their passion for that is palpable whenever you meet them. Our customer experience team won the highly prestigious gold award for Best Customer Experience at the European Contact Centre Awards in November. What we do, we do really well, whether that’s for business or the public sector. We are the best at it in the country and our whole team is rightly proud of that.”