“Connectivity deficit” costing economy £30bn a year

The report claims that this could be saved by making it easier for people to work from home, improving the efficiency of meetings and reducing the amount of time wasted on using unproductive tech.

Ed Vaizey, minister for culture, communications and creative industries, said
“Government is transforming broadband across the UK and is on track to deliver superfast broadband coverage to 95% of the country by 2017.

“This investment in connectivity across the country is providing opportunities for a more flexible and efficient business environment which this report highlights. A better connected Britain is essential for driving growth and boosting local economies, ultimately helping us to win in the global race.”

However the report showed that some businesses were sceptical of the ideas, with one in four citing trust, readiness and responsibility as barriers to adoption.

Graham Brough, chief executive of the CEBR, said: “ICT technologies such as smartphones, mobile apps and cloud computing are starting to drive business productivity and restore the competitiveness of UK workers.

“We expect to see the economic benefits from better connectivity increase as these technologies penetrate all aspects of the work environment whether this be working from home, whilst travelling or from remote locations.”

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