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Connectivity

The Ocean Plastic Crisis – How is broadband aiding the clean-up?

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The Ocean Plastic Crisis - How is broadband aiding the clean-up?

A big topic in the public eye recently has been the ocean plastic crisis. Tonnes upon tonnes of plastic has been discarded into our oceans instead of being reused and recycled, which has resulted in numerous environmental problems.

It is estimated that 8 million tonnes of plastic are thrown into our oceans annually; that number is only set to increase as our plastic output is predicted to increase 10-fold by 2020.

Plastic Concentration by 2050

Micro-plastics are bits of plastic that are smaller than a fingernail. This is the plastic ingested by animals and it kills an estimated 1 million sea birds and 100,000 sea mammals every year.

Coral can get diseases through plastic pollution; once a piece of plastic touches an area of coral, the likelihood of that coral becoming diseased increases from 4% to 89%!

There are 5 large gyres of plastic in our oceans, with one specific gyre called ‘The Great Pacific Garbage Patch’. This floats between California and Hawaii and is claimed to be 1.6 million square kilometres in size. Texas is around 700,000 square kilometres, so this gyre is over double the size of Texas!

How is this issue being tackled?

The non-profit organisation called The Ocean Cleanup is teaming up with the satellite communications company Iridium to speed up the ocean cleanup process.

Iridium and The Ocean Cleanup

The Ocean Cleanup will be sending out a fleet of sixty collectors into The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. These collectors are 600 metres long and have a screen underneath so that plastic can’t flow underneath whilst also avoiding wildlife.

Each one of these collectors will be equipped with two broadband satellites at each end. These satellites will be transmitting live data back to The Ocean Cleanup’s base in Rotterdam.

The data they will be receiving ranges from overflow detection, location data, pictures, 360° live video and system performance updates.

You may be wondering how they are able to send all this information from the middle of the ocean…

The data is transported from the broadband satellites on each of the collectors up to interconnected low-orbit satellites, specifically 66 of them across 6 polar orbiting planes! Therefore, there is no need for any ground infrastructure!

Iridium’s latest constellation of satellites is still being launched. They have already had 7 NEXT launches with help from SpaceX to get 65 satellites into orbit. They only have one launch left to get another 10 satellites up. 66 of those satellites will be used with the other 9 being used as backups. There is also another 6 spare satellites on the ground.

There are other pieces of technology on the collectors that will play a big part in the cleanup process.

Each one of these collectors is autonomous! Once they are placed in an optimal location for collection, they are left to roam around the gyre. The satellites will translate the path and current location of the collector back to Rotterdam so that they can track the progress of each one.

The Ocean Cleanup also wanted to make sure that their solution was as environmentally friendly as possible. So, their collectors are energy neutral.

What this means is that it only uses the waves and wind direction to move around. Also, all of electronics on the collectors, such as the lights, are solar powered.

All of these technologies teamed together should make for the most successful effort in the ocean cleanup yet!

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5G testing has begun!

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5G testing has begun!5G is a highly popular topic at the moment, with many industry experts beginning to test and showcase what is possible with 5G.

Companies and individuals alike are preparing themselves for a 5G launch that was previously expected in 2020, however EE are now getting ready for a full 5G launch in the UK next year!

This is much sooner than some expected, including us, which puts us at the front of the pack for 5G release across Europe.

EE is currently testing it’s 5G network and part of this project involves them testing 5G in high capacity areas and hotspots within the UK.

As a result, the first 5G trial site has been switched on at Montgomery Square, Canary Wharf. Montgomery Square is estimated by EE to have 150’000 visitors and commuters every day.

This site is the first of 11 sites that will be launched across East London as the first phase of EE’s 5G launch program. But EE isn’t the only provider that is working on releasing 5G trial sites in the UK…

O2 is beginning it’s 5G testing by using their O2 Arena as a trial site, allowing visitors to experience 5G first hand before O2 plans to release it to the rest of the UK in 2020.

Vodafone has also stated that in the coming weeks they will be launching their own test sites across the UK after the testing that took place at their laboratory in Newbury. Vodafone is trailing 5G in a few different locations. Firstly, they’re opening trial sites in seven cities across the UK including Birmingham and Manchester. They will also be launching hotspots in holiday destinations such as the Lake District in 2019.

They will be the first UK provider to launch 5G outside of any UK city, barring any surprise launches from fellow service providers.

So, what exactly does 5G data mean for us when we’re using our phones?

5G speeds can equal anything up to 1Gbps, which is around 600 times faster than the UK’s average speeds! This means a full HD film that you could usually download in a couple of hours takes just a few seconds! The much larger bandwidth that 5G offers also means that many more people can access these speeds at once.

The O2 CEO Mark Evans explains the importance of 5G to the UK very well. He stated:

Mark Evans quote

For more information on what 5G can offer us – have a read of our ‘5G – The Fifth Generation’ blog.

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Connectivity – It’s all about options!

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Connectivity - It's all about options!It’s 2018 and you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to connectivity solutions. This is great, but the vast array of technology these days can leave you in a bit of a quandary when it comes to choosing your services, often leading to no decision being made at all.

With big differences in pricing, this can be a deciding factor in the services you opt for. In many cases this can lead you to taking out contracts in services that fall short of the mark, which is why we feel it’s important that you understand the options available before you sign on the dotted line and have no way out.

Generally speaking, more expensive means better quality but that doesn’t necessarily make it the best option for your business. So to make sure that you know exactly which connection you need, we’re here to outline some of the main features of each type.

Over and above the most widely available ADSL broadband and FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet), there are faster and more resilient offerings available and Direct Internet Access (DIA) is a term often thrown about to describe them. In broad terms DIA is an internet connection that offers significantly faster speeds. Although this is true, the term is an umbrella and encompasses specific connection types that vary.

So, what are the options?

EoFTTC (Ethernet over Fibre to the Cabinet) and GEA (Generic Ethernet Access) use existing fibre or copper wires to connect to the street cabinet and then fibre connects to the local exchange, before (unlike FTTC) handing data over to the ethernet network. Think of it as an entry level form of ethernet connectivity. This solution has the shortest install lead times (circa 18 working days) compared to some of the other options. It is a cost-effective choice for businesses looking for reliability, as it comes with SLA’s to protect you in the event of any issues.

Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) is an affordable alternative to a leased line. It provides speeds determined by the number of bonded copper cables in the line. A box is installed on-site that ‘bonds’ the individual wires into a single service. 2 cables gives twice the former speeds, 4 cables provides quadruple and so on, regardless of whether it’s uploading or downloading. The speeds are lower than of a leased line, but it has much shorter installation lead times and offers the same reliable SLA’s. For smaller businesses using cloud technology, this is a great option.

G.fast is BT Openreach’s 330Mbps capable hybrid fibre technology. It was initially piloted in 20 locations around the UK and then rolled out to another 26. It works in a similar way to FTTC but is fitted with an extension ‘pod’ that houses the G.fast technology to increase speeds for the final leg of the connection – short loops of the copper wires to the premises. You need to be situated in one of the trial locations to benefit from this, but BT Openreach are planning to roll out further over the coming years.

FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) employs fibre optic cabling from the exchange right up to, yes you guessed it, the premises. The upload and download speeds of FTTP are significantly faster with some areas able to receive up to 1Gbps (or 1000Mbps if you wanted to compare) – the fastest speeds available anywhere in the UK.

A Leased Line offers uncontended bandwidth (i.e. they are occupied only by the customer, rather than sharing with others) and therefore consistent speed: even during peak times. You will also benefit from symmetrical upload and download speeds, fault thresholds and SLA’s for resolving any issues. Additionally, you can have built in resilience by opting for 2 leased lines on separate networks. One operates as a back-up for the other, to offer the most robust protection against downtime. Whilst this is the most expensive option, for commercial operations relying heavily on connectivity it is the most reliable solution.

Direct Internet Access

If you’re struggling to find motivation to upgrade your internet connection, it is worth bearing in mind that by 2025 internet-based voice solutions will be the only available option as ISDN will have been phased out by BT Openreach. This along with the rapid movement to cloud-based services demands the need for better, more reliable, internet connectivity in all businesses, whatever their size or requirements.

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The Gigabit Voucher Scheme

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The Gigabit Voucher SchemeHere at Boxx, we are excited to be helping businesses grow by providing access to super-fast 1Gbps internet connectivity!

Equal to 1000Mbps and multiple times faster than most businesses currently operate with, it is a massive leap forwards in terms of connectivity speed which can benefit businesses, both now and into the future.

For businesses looking to move to cloud-based applications, or for those who already do, this dedicated business grade offering brings vast opportunities to improve productivity and intensify growth.

In parallel with the availability of 1Gbps fibre in cities across the country, the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport have launched a ‘Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme’ whereby businesses can apply for a grant of up to £3000* to upgrade to gigabit capable infrastructure.

The scheme has been given a budget of £67m to drive forward their vision of a full fibre Britain.

The Government recognise that gigabit speed is a key step for most businesses and demand for greater digital connectivity is set to accelerate in future years.

Businesses eligible for the ‘Gigabit Voucher Scheme’ include those who employ fewer than 250 people and have an annual turnover not exceeding 50m Euros.

For businesses with a growth strategy, gigabit internet connection yields many benefits including supporting symmetrical connections, meaning upload and download speeds can be the same – making cloud-based applications much more efficient.

If you have a large or growing team, use cloud-based applications or simply require faster, more reliable connectivity, we can advise whether 1Gbps connectivity is available and/or most suitable for your business and we can assist you in an application for the Government’s ‘Gigabit Voucher Scheme’!

Just get in touch!

*As of November 12th 2018, The DCMS have reduced the amount given out from £3000 to £2500.

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5G – The Fifth Generation!

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5G - The Fifth Generation!It doesn’t feel like that long ago that 4G was rolled out in the UK and that’s because, it wasn’t!

City testing for 4G began at the end of 2012 before widespread 4G coverage was released around mid-2013.

Now, 5 years down the line, we are already talking about the introduction of 5G networks across the globe.

So what exactly is 5G…?

5G stands for ‘5th Generation’ and is the latest advancement in wireless phone technology, allowing for MUCH greater speeds!

All other networks, like 4G, use radiowaves to transfer information, whereas 5G utilises other areas of the Electromagnetic Spectrum to increase speeds. This is all thanks to new developments in receiver and transmitter technology.

It seems almost every new product can connect to the internet and items such as homes, cars and almost all wearables becoming ‘smart’.

The new 5G network will allow for more and more devices to connect to the internet, with greater amounts of data being able to travel and Gigabit speeds!

It’s fair to say that when it came to the rollout of 3G and 4G, the UK seemed to lag behind a lot of the world, with many areas of the UK still unable to access 3G.

But, the UK government has promised that this won’t happen when it comes to the rollout of 5G and they seem to be making some good steps towards it.

At the beginning of March this year, the government donated £25 million to 5G projects to boost efforts in speeding up the 5G process.

However, the biggest news regarding 5G came recently, with the auction of the 4G and 5G spectrums.

Now be prepared, because the numbers coming up may be confusing, but we’ll explain them the best that we can…

Only 40Mhz of the 4G were up for auction. To put that into context, EE currently holds 255Mhz of that spectrum, so not much was up for sale. In fact, O2 acquired all the spectrum that was up for auction and it cost them just over £200 million.

O2 bought the same amount (40Mhz) in the 5G spectrum. Due to the 5G spectrums ability to hold more data than others, the amount acquired by providers will increase the spectrum amount ready for mobile use compared to when 4G was released.

This sale for O2 was worth around £317 million showing just how invested in the new spectrum mobile providers are!

Vodafone were the company to gain the most of the 5G spectrum, buying 50Mhz.

In total, the sale numbers were worth around £1.3 billion which is double what was predicted at the start of the auction.

4G Vs 5G Speeds

It’s all well and good us shouting numbers at you, but what exactly will we gain from this?

According to O2’s CEO Mark Evans:

• Households will save £450 a year on energy/food bills and council tax

• Councils will save up to £2.8 billion a year with the introduction of smart lighting and other infrastructures.

• There will be savings in staff time, saving the government up to £1.3 billion.

• Smart roads will be introduced, reducing you time stuck in traffic by an average of 10%.

There’s a lot to look forward to in the future, but when exactly will we see 5G be rolled out…?

Many phone manufacturers, 18 at the time of writing this, have announced they’re working with Qualcomm to produce 5G ready phones for next year!

However, 5G will most likely not be available to the masses until 2020 at the earliest.

That isn’t to far in the future though so we’re very excited. 5G can’t come quick enough!

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New Year’s plans

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New Year’s plansHere at Boxx we like to stay transparent and keep you up to date with the latest news both in and out the office…

That’s why we want to share our plans for 2018 with you – a bit late we know, but what better time than the present to ready you for the year ahead, hey?!

Our first objective is to prepare everyone for the future disconnection of traditional ISDN (and PSTN) phone lines, by bringing our future-proof telecoms solutions to you.

These are a variety of IP (internet protocol) telephony products which use the internet to host calls, as opposed to a traditional landline. These include SIP Trunking, On-premise VoIP and Hosted VoIP.

If you’re worried about losing your number during the change, there’s no need – in fact one number can be attributed to multiple handsets. Handsets can include your mobile: with our Horizon voice app which pairs your landline with your mobile, making sure no call is missed when you’re out the office.

As well as the added flexibility, VoIP will save you money on calls while presenting the opportunity to add call-management features such as; an auto-attendant, music-on-hold, or a tailored voice-over.

Secondly, as we look to improve our call-management features, we’re introducing our very own, professional, voice-over and music-on-hold. To see the full potential of this service – check out our specially dedicated blog so that you know exactly what you’re getting!

As we look to improve your phone services it’s only right that we improve internet connectivity too!
That’s why we’re proud to be offer 1Gbps (1000Mbps) up and down in certain locations across the UK. This is ideal for businesses with extensive phone systems or just a high internet usage.

If 1Gb sounds a bit excessive but you like the idea – don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! We have a vast range of FTTP, FTTC and EFM connections ranging from 10 Mb to 1000Mb upload and download speeds. We have no doubt that we have the perfect solution for your business!

Finally, following our office move we’re determined to maximise the potential of our new work environment by migrating towards a hot desk layout and totally flexible working plan. The first step has been the employment of Microsoft Office 365 alongside our pre-existing VoIP system which allows us to bounce calls round the office at the push of a button. The benefits – a more collaborative workforce!

If this sounds like something that you’d like to implement within your business then please, feel free to get in touch and we’ll help you on the way.

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