- Northeast businesses, hospitals and public buildings would make massive efficiency gains if indoor mobile “dead zones” were eliminated, survey reveals.
- 85% of organisations in the Northeast currently suffer from patchy and unreliable indoor access.
- Findings come from this year’s Freshwave Mobile Connectivity ROI Index.
16 April 2025: Economic growth in the Northeast is being held back by indoor mobile signal blackspots, thwarting the Government’s efforts to kick-start the economy.
Companies and other organisations with 100+ employees in the UK believe they collectively lose £100bn a year – including £12bn in the Northeast – thanks to indoor mobile dead zones which are often caused by building design and construction materials.
Freshwave’s Mobile Connectivity ROI Index found that organisational productivity and customer satisfaction rates could be greatly increased by addressing these connectivity challenges.
Survey respondents believe that the Northeast could experience significant productivity gains by fixing the problem. Their consensus is that GDP could be bolstered by 1.7%, more than the UK-wide average of 1.6%. The findings come at a time when the Government is looking to improved digital infrastructure to help deliver on its Northern Powerhouse digital strategy aimed at using technology to improve people’s lives and help businesses and communities thrive. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, has also made economic productivity growth a priority amid widely-flagged efforts to avoid further tax rises.
The vast majority (85%) of the participating organisations reported poor current indoor connectivity causes daily disruptions. Investing in better in-building mobile connectivity, such as 4G or 5G coverage, would reduce disruption and support revenue growth, increase operational performance, and drive higher customer satisfaction. As a result, 58% of respondents expect their connectivity budgets to increase over the next two years as they look to improve indoor coverage to address this problem.
Simon Frumkin, CEO of Freshwave, commented: “The Northeast economy simply cannot afford to lose billions every year. That is why massive investments have been made in digital infrastructure over the past decade. We must now build upon this platform and ensure seamless mobile connectivity extends to wherever people want to use it. The prize will be £9bn of added value for Northeastern organisations. So they are right to anticipate boosting their investment in mobile technology over the next two years.
“Working alongside the mobile network operators, we’re at the forefront of helping organisations reap the full economic benefits of this decade-long investment. 4G/5G connectivity is going to enable transformative technologies across every sector, benefiting organisations and the economy both today and for years into the future.”
Across the UK, the public sector reports being the most affected by indoor connectivity dead zones, losing £46bn annually, with potential gains of £33bn not being realised. The professional and financial services sector follows, losing £24bn annually, with a potential gain of £17bn from better indoor mobile connectivity.