Why connectivity downtime doesn’t have to be an issue 

Time to read

4 minutes

Date published

September 2025

Loss of internet connectivity can be costly for businesses of all types and sizes, from restaurants to retailers. Now’s the time to introduce your customers to the benefits of a reliable, cost-effective backup solution. 

System outages affecting big brands often make the news. However, it’s not just major corporations that need to worry about loss of internet connectivity. In today’s super-connected world, SMBs are just as vulnerable to the threat of downtime. The costs can run into hundreds, or even thousands of pounds per hour. 

A survey by Censuswide found that UK businesses lost over 50 million hours and £3.7 billion due to internet failures in 2023. Because of increased reliance on internet connectivity, the cost of missed sales, lost productivity and other disruptions due to downtime rose by 400% over five years. 

The good news is that there’s a way for your customers to avoid sleepless nights fretting about internet downtime. Giacom’s CompleteConnect is a fully-managed IoT SIM and router solution that delivers uninterrupted connectivity. It’s a reliable, resilient failover backup, not to mention being easy to deploy and affordable for SMBs. 

Time is money 

Loss of internet connectivity is not only frustrating. It can have an impact on a whole host of business-critical processes, such as point-of-sale (POS) equipment, inventory management systems and remote monitoring apps. As well as additional costs, there’s also the risk of delayed services, dissatisfied customers and resultant reputational damage. There are also ‘hidden’ costs, such as staff time spent troubleshooting, recovering from and smoothing over outages. 

The problem can be particularly acute for manufacturing businesses. It’s not just about lost hours on the production line or issues with stock control. Downtime can result in increased overtime costs and penalties for missed deadlines, pushing up the cost of sale per unit. Recent research by IDS-INDATA highlighted the huge financial and operational impact of unplanned manufacturing downtime across the UK and EU, with manufacturers predicted to lose over £80 billion in 2025. 

Retail is another sector where always-on connectivity is crucial. Cashless transactions have become the norm and even an hour’s downtime can result in a significant volume of sales being lost. Giacom partners already selling Smart Mobile Data have a diverse customer base, with customers ranging from the UK’s biggest coffee shop brands to clothing chains and warehouse wholesalers. CompleteConnect has provided them with tailored connectivity solutions, including on-demand 4G backup that seamlessly kicks in during broadband outages. 

A widespread challenge 

The fact is that few, if any, business sectors are immune to the threat of internet downtime. In financial services, loss of access to trading platforms or secure banking systems can result in major disruption to workflows. In professional services such as law and accounting, electronic transfer of information and monies has become standard practice. Then there’s the healthcare sector, which is becoming more and more reliant on technology, including cloud-based patient records and e-communication. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospitality sector has embraced cashless payments, as well as online reservations and ordering. Imagine what would happen if a pub or restaurant lost connectivity on a busy bank holiday weekend. Many people rely on cards and carry little or no cash. Without the ability to take payments, the venue could lose thousands of pounds. And with customers unable to book online, future business could also be lost. 

Why pay more and get less? 

Many IT decision makers are unaware of cellular backup options, particularly those powered by IoT. This knowledge gap results in reliance on inadequate or outdated failover solutions which demand time, technical expertise or investment to deploy and maintain, putting them out of reach of SMBs with limited tech budgets. 

Secondary broadband may seem like the obvious way to go. However, it’s often costly, underutilised and vulnerable to the same connectivity issues as the primary connection. Satellite and MPLS solutions are usually expensive, overly complex or unsuitable for real-time applications. As for consumer-grade options, they can lack enterprise-level reliability, security, automation and scalability. 

Connectivity confidence for SMBs 

CompleteConnect is the ideal solution for partners looking for an out-of-the-box smart connectivity failover solution. As the name suggests, it’s an end-to-end managed solution with IoT SIM and router. As well as integrating seamlessly with existing IT infrastructure, CompleteConnect offers unlimited data allowances (fair usage policies apply), static IPs, flexible 4G or 5G tariffs and 12 or 36-month terms. 

So many businesses now rely on connectivity to keep things running smoothly. CompleteConnect can help your customers avoid costly downtime and benefit from reassuring business continuity.  

Drive additional monthly revenue and build customer loyalty. Explore the benefits of CompleteConnect now.