WHEN we look back at 2020, it’s worth looking at some of the words and terms we’re now using, many of which we’d not heard of 12 months ago.
Furlough, lockdown, pandemic, WFH and circuit-breaker are words few of us would have uttered regularly before 2020. As are terms like ‘Zoom meeting’ and ‘you’re on mute’.
Many of these hint at the fact that much of our lives shifted further online in 2020. Millions of us swapped our offices and schools for home, and we kept ourselves entertained and in touch with loved ones online.
When we went into lockdown in March, there were concerns about whether our networks would cope with this big increase in online traffic. In the last week of April, BT’s network transmitted 103 petabytes (PB) of data in a single day – 1PB is roughly equivalent to the amount of data on 250,000 DVDs – the largest total since our records began.
But, even though usage of data more than doubled during the period, our networks are designed to cope with much higher spikes.
I’m proud of the role my colleagues played in keeping Northern Ireland connected during this crisis. From the engineers who keep our broadband and mobile networks connected, to the vital contact centre staff helping people when they needed it most.
Our frontline colleagues in our contact centres, including our site in Enniskillen, really stepped up to this challenge. They received a huge surge of customers asking for faster connections to help with home working, home schooling and running their businesses remotely. We helped many colleagues to work from home so they could perform an essential role keeping our customers, including vulnerable people, connected.
I’m proud also of the role our people played in supporting the NHS in Northern Ireland during the crisis. From working with government to quickly provide communications to the temporary hospitals, to offering new, technical solutions to help frontline health workers get on with their jobs.
We also know that 2020 was a difficult and stressful time for many small businesses. That’s why we launched a support scheme to try and help boost the connectivity, cashflow and confidence of small businesses.
So what can we expect for 2021 and beyond?
The pandemic has shown clearly the vital role digital technology and internet connectivity now plays in all our lives. If all households and businesses are going to stay ahead, fast fibre broadband and good 4G and 5G coverage is going to be essential, particularly for new and small businesses.
While BT Group continues to invest billions in these networks, we know that we can’t do this alone and we’ll work with governments and local authorities to make sure that no areas are left behind.
Expect also to hear more about the ‘green recovery’ – with Glasgow preparing to host the COP26 climate summit – as governments around the world aim to focus economic growth towards cleaner and greener technology and jobs.
I also think it will be a ‘tech recovery’, with many trends like automation, artificial intelligence and smart technology being accelerated.
While 2020 was difficult for so many, hopefully the recovery will come soon and we’ll be able to add the term ‘post-pandemic’ to the list of new words in 2021.
:: Jane Wood is nations and regions director at BT Group
