Highlights
It’s rare to find a business nowadays that isn’t predominantly built on the strength of its connectivity. This is largely because most have realised the benefits of the cloud for functions like email, CRMs, storage and backup. The list of functions goes on and on for good reason. The cloud is incredible, until the day it isn’t - when your connectivity goes down for a prolonged period, stops doing its job, and suddenly it becomes unreachable.
With the popularity of VoIP for cheaper, flexible, scalable phone capacity, many of us are now also using connectivity where a traditional phone line was used. And boxed licenses are being replaced with subscription based services such as O365, offering a more economical solution for businesses. Our employees are still running the show, but it’s our connectivity that’s allowing them to do it.
There are a variety of factors that can take your connectivity down, from natural disasters, to cyberattacks, human error or issues like damaged fibre. Outages of several days have been experienced by businesses when every day occurrences such as fires breaking out or builders severing links.
The best strategy to avoid this, is to organise an internet failover. This is a redundant connectivity solution, on-hand, and ready to take over when your primary connection goes down. It should be totally independent of your main solution. This can be achieved by using a different ISP but be aware that different fibre providers may be using the same infrastructure so be vulnerable to the same issues. It is actually better to use two entirely different methods of accessing the internet.
Employing a diverse medium, such as wireless fibre, can cost as little as £150 a month, yet businesses who would never contemplate operating without insurance, don’t prioritise it. Spending less than £2000 a year to ensure continuity of connectivity and protect your business’ ability to function, just makes sense.
Wireless fibre (like Optimity’s Wibre™ solution) can kick in when fibre fails. Yes, it can also be vulnerable to some of the same factors like natural disasters, but it can’t be damaged by diggers, is less susceptible to cyber threats (its high levels of security means it was initially used by the military) and because of its physical location, it’s less vulnerable to human error.
Spending a couple of hundred pounds a month to secure your data can save you the thousands it would cost with just one day of no connectivity. The cross over could be so instantaneous, your business wouldn’t miss a beat, you could still answer and make calls, access business critical functions and operate totally normally.
A lot of businesses don’t realise the level of disruption until they face such a challenge, but if you are a business operating without a backup connectivity solution, as part of your continuity plan, you are doing yourself a disservice. It really should be at the forefront of your strategy and not a costly afterthought.
Tell us about yourself so we can serve you best.
Got a question?
More articles
For many landlords and building managers, the word “wayleave” feels like the responsible route whenever a fibre circuit is being installed on their property. It sounds formal and safe – a neat legal box to tick.
In many cases, however, a wayleave adds unnecessary complexity and delays, frustrates tenants, and can expose landlords to long-term legal risks.
At Vorboss, we’ve connected thousands of office spaces across London without a wayleave, keeping landlords in full control and getting tenants online faster.
What is a wayleave?
A wayleave is a written agreement between a landowner and a telecoms operator. It gives the operator permission to install and keep equipment on private property.
What many people don’t realise is that signing a wayleave also activates “Code rights” under the Electronic Communications Code. These rights go beyond simple permission, they give the operator legal powers to stay on the property indefinitely, access it when needed, and even refuse removal of their equipment in certain situations.
For a typical connection into a commercial building in London, a wayleave can make the fibre installation process slower, more expensive, and limit the landlord’s flexibility long term.
Why a wayleave isn’t required for standard in-building fibre connections
For a standard in-building fibre connection serving a tenant, a wayleave isn’t a legal requirement. Important protections, like building access, fire safety, repairing any damage, and removing equipment, are already covered by the tenant’s lease and usual building rules.
If no wayleave is signed, no Code rights are triggered, meaning the landlord retains full control and the installation exists under a simple, fully revocable licence.
In practice, this gives landlords far more protection and flexibility:
- No legal lock-in – the telecoms operator has no long-term rights to stay or refuse removal.
- Landlords keep full control – equipment can be moved or removed when the building changes.
- Faster fibre installation – no time lost in drafting contracts or solicitor reviews.
- Happier tenants – connections go live quicker; tenants get to move in faster.
By contrast, signing a wayleave and granting Code rights introduces a complex and expensive legal process for any fibre removal or relocation. This can take at least 18 months, plus potential court or tribunal proceedings, making it slower, and far less flexible for the landlord.
Public services across central London are evolving, and the City of London Corporation is leading the way.
Whether you work, live or study in the Square Mile, you’ll soon feel the difference that faster, more dependable connectivity brings.
What is the Future Network Programme?
The City of London Corporation is rolling out the Future Network Programme, a major project to modernise its entire digital infrastructure and bring everything under one unified network.
From offices and schools to iconic green spaces like Hampstead Heath, cultural destinations like the Barbican, and historic markets such as Leadenhall and Old Spitalfields, this upgrade will mean more reliable connectivity across the City’s buildings and public spaces.
It also extends to essential services, including critical sites run by the City of London Police. This enhanced connectivity will support everything from secure communication systems to faster, more resilient networks for emergency operations.
Leading this transformation is Roc Technologies, supported by Juniper Networks and Palo Alto Networks; all powered by the Vorboss fibre network. Together, we’re bringing the City onto a modern digital foundation that’s ready to support its future.
Who the Future Network Programme benefits and how?
The programme is designed for everyone who depends on public services in the Square Mile:
- Students in City-run schools will have fast, reliable connectivity to fully access digital learning tools.
- Public-sector teams will experience smoother hybrid working, better access to online platforms, and more efficient collaboration across locations.
- Residents and visitors will see improvements in public Wi-Fi, digital services, and online access in libraries, community hubs, and other shared spaces.
- The City of London Police will gain a more secure, faster and resilient network that enhances CCTV reliability and enables more effective frontline operations.
.avif)
.avif)
