Published on May 10th, 2018 | by Sunit Nandi

Using 4G WAN to Expand Your Business

There are very few businesses that don’t want to grow or expand – whether that means additional people, additional clients – or simply more money hitting your bottom line.

But, with growth comes logistics. Where do those new people work? How can you market effectively? How can you beat the timescales that constrain everyone else?

The answer, surprisingly, might already be in your pocket.

We’ll explain how 4G WAN is changing the business IT world and tell you a little more about what kind of opportunities for expansion it might unlock for your business…

What is 4G WAN?

It’s maybe slightly insincere to suggest you have answer to your business expansion plans in your pocket – but you certainly have some of the tech you could be using.

It’s easy to think of 4G as nothing more than the way your phone connects to the internet – but it’s actually got a lot more potential than that. 4G or 4^th Generation Cellular networks, allow increased amounts of data to be transmitted through digital transmissions – but not only that, they use technology that means the data transmissions are far less affected by speed than previous 2/3G data transmissions.

So, 4G is fast and packs a lot of information in – so why don’t we just run our businesses from our phone’s internet connection?

Well, we could, if a single SIM offered enough speed alone – so since one SIM won’t, it’s time to start teaming them up.

Bonding SIMs

If one SIM isn’t up to the job – then you’re going to need more, 2, 4, 6 – even 20+ – and when you’re at these levels, you start to get an internet connection that’s truly capable of offering you the speed and reliability you need for multiple users over your business wider area network (WAN).

Of course, you need the right hardware to deliver this function – which is where a 4G router comes into play.

4G routers are specialist pieces of equipment that, for the most part, are designed to bond the cellular networks from multiple SIMs and deliver it as a single internet connection. Each SIM adds speed and capacity – as well as offering additional stability to the network, i.e. if you lose connection with one SIM, you’ve got additional SIMs (often from alternative network providers) that can still handle the load.

What does this mean for expansion?

If you’re in business, you’ve almost certainly heard the term ‘agility’ used – it’s the idea that your business should be able to roll with the ups, downs and opportunities of the marketplace you’re in.

4G WAN can be your hidden weapon when it comes to agility – from the day you begin tradeing, through to harnessing the opportunities that could leave even established businesses behind.

Why? Because it makes your business mobile very quickly.

Using 4G WAN to expand

Getting your business up and running quickly – no matter where you are in the world – can be invaluable in a huge number of situations:

1. Opening your doors

For many startups, the prospect of having your own dedicated location is going to be a huge expansion – but one that can be massively hindered by companies being unable to install a fixed internet connection in a reasonable timeframe.

In the UK, fibre line delivery time can be up to 3 months – and even longer if your site requires construction to help install the hardware you need.

A company offering rapid 4G deployment can cut this time waiting down to literally a couple of days – meaning your internet connection will be installed quicker than you can sign your tenancy paperwork…

2. Finding new locations

It’s not just your first location that can benefit from 4G WAN – opening new premises is often not a viable business move because of the delay between finding the right property and actually being able to open your doors to a working office.

4G WAN lets you establish a new office in any location – even one which could be impossible for traditional circuit delivery companies to access. In fact, 4G WAN is often used by drilling and exploration companies in the most remote and inhospitable parts of the world.

3. Working on a client site

There are instances when it’s useful to put an employee directly with a client or on a client’s site – but it’s not always possible to rely on their network or security to keep your business running.

So, rather than hope for the best, you can offer to place a worker with an important client quickly and easily. Do they need to be there tomorrow? Next week? No problem, have a 4G WAN rapid-site-deployment box shipping to the location – and when your employee arrives, they’ve got a network connection that’s of the same speed and reliability as they would have if they were sat on their own desk.

4. Working on the road

Of course, it’s not just client sites that your workers may need to occupy – sometimes they’ll find themselves working on the road – whether that’s technical teams whose van becomes their office – or travelling sales people or consultants that spend time away from home and often work from hotel rooms.

Not having a fixed location can mean you simply can’t access the most important parts of your business network – but this isn’t the case with 4G WAN solutions – anywhere you choose can quickly become and safe and secure office space with full access to all your applications and systems.

5. Shows and expos

Shows and expos can be fantastic opportunities – but they also represent a real chance that you’re not going to be able to offer potential customers the same level of service you could sitting behind your PC.

If you want to bring your office and systems with you when you set up at an expo, a 4G WAN solution might be perfect. The agility and mobility you need to set your business up quickly and in any location – along with every application you could possibly need to showcase what you do perfectly.

Is 4G WAN right for you?

If 4G WAN sounds like it could be the ideal route toward getting your business expansion plans in action, this guide will offer you some useful information on how to set up your 4G WAN system for maximum impact – and don’t forget to talk to your IT team or a specialist provider about exactly what you need and what you’re hoping to do.

Tags: 4G, 4G WAN, business, expand, using, wan

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.