According to wearesocial’s 2022 report, Hong Kong enjoys a relatively strong 93.0% internet user population with daily internet use averaging 6 hours and 46 minutes. The report noted that the median download speed of fixed internet connection was 157.19 MBPS with year-on-year median fixed internet connection speed rising 31.3%.
Internet quality’s influence on hybrid work
The success of hybrid work hinges on the quality and availability of the internet. This is evidenced in Cisco’s Broadband Index which noted that 72% of Hong Kong workers say broadband services need to dramatically improve to support this new way of working.
The Index indicates 78% say the reliability and quality of broadband connections are important to them. Dependence on high-performance internet access is underlined by two key facts: 88% of Hong Kong respondents actively use their broadband at home for four hours or more each day and 59% say three or more people simultaneously use the internet in their household.
Many teleworkers need more than a basic level of connectivity to support their livelihoods. To address the demands on their broadband connection, 41% of people surveyed in Hong Kong are planning to upgrade their internet service in the next 12 months.
“After more than two years in the pandemic, employers in Hong Kong start to look for ways beyond supporting hybrid work, but powering hybrid work with a future-proofed technology stack to better engage the workforce, and remain agile in the evolving economy,” commented Wilson Ching, general manager, Cisco Hong Kong and Macau.
He commented that in this journey, internet connection is not just about the ways people connect to the network. It is about the experience with the networked applications they use to run the businesses, innovate operations, and delight customers.
Critical for SMEs
A new digital business environment has emerged where ambitious entrepreneurs and start-ups can prosper, fostering innovation across industries. According to Trade and Industry Department in Hong Kong, SMEs represent more than 98% of business establishments and about 45% of employment of the city’s workforce in the private sector. Broadband will therefore play a key role in the growth and evolution of this core business category.
Since 2020, work from home has become the norm for markets in many parts of Asia. Workers working from home is now common across many parts of Asia. Figures provided by Cisco shows that the use of home broadband to conduct work or business now accounts for 66% in Singapore, 56% in India, 48% in Hong Kong, 34% in Taiwan and 27% in South Korea.
Security is vital
To work from anywhere, employees need to connect to their company’s networks and applications from outside the office, accessing private data across multiple locations, through multiple devices, via public and private networks.
Workers are becoming increasingly aware that safety and security, as well as speed and reliability, will be vital to the success of hybrid working. The Cisco Broadband Index found that 65% of Hong Kong respondents who work remotely full time and 58% in hybrid work environments would pay more for a safer internet connection.
Better working world
Beyond the business world, improving the quality of access to the internet has a far broader impact on the economy and society. 76% of Hong Kong respondents believe having access to fast and reliable internet is critical to future economic growth, and a well-educated population. A similar share (73%) of respondents says everyone should be able to securely connect to fast and reliable internet, regardless of location.
