Sky Business unveils SME plans tackling mobile data fears

Sky Business has launched new SIM-only mobile plans for small and medium-sized enterprises and published research that links mobile data shortfalls to lost revenue and operational disruption.

The company said a survey of 1,000 UK SME leaders and decision makers found that two-thirds had run out of mobile data in the last two years. It reported average losses of more than £3,400 a year among businesses affected.

The research found that 73% of SME leaders experience what Sky Business described as a "Fear of Running Out" of mobile data. Sky Business said the figure rises to more than eight in ten among millennial-led businesses.

More than half of respondents who had run out of data said it had a commercial impact. The research reported an average of £3,462 a year in missed sales, bookings and opportunities among those businesses.

Operational risk

The findings point to how mobile connectivity has become embedded in day-to-day SME operations. Almost half of respondents said running out of mobile data would be worse than running out of stock.

More than a third said they had been unable to process payments when data ran out, according to the research. Nearly half said losing mobile data would be worse for their business than losing Wi‑Fi for an entire day.

The survey results also highlighted how businesses try to manage that risk through higher allowances. Sky Business said many firms pay for larger bundles to avoid disruption, even when usage varies sharply between employees and across the month.

Former England footballer Michael Owen is cited in the research as a business owner who has experienced the issue. Owen runs a horse racing and breeding business.

"On race days everything moves quickly for me and my team, whether it's advice from the vet, a trainer update or a last-minute change from the yard and FORO is a real issue. If your data runs out and you can't reach your team on the ground, you are operating at a disadvantage. So we don't get caught out, I've historically been overpaying for peace of mind - but that's an extra cost I and other small business owners shouldn't have to deal with," said Michael Owen, Former England Footballer turned SME business owner.

Unused spend

Alongside the risk of running out, the research also reported what Sky Business described as inefficiency in how SMEs buy mobile data. Respondents said they spend an average of £477 a month on mobile data.

Sky Business said around a third of that data goes unused. It calculated that as close to £1,900 per business each year.

Mayuresh Thavapalan, Commercial and Marketing Director, Sky Business, said businesses often face both waste and shortfall at the same time. "UK businesses are effectively paying twice - once for data sat unused across their team, and again if someone unexpectedly runs out. Mobile connectivity should flex around how a business actually operates, reducing waste while protecting revenue when it matters most," said Thavapalan.

New mobile plans

Sky Business said it has launched Sky Business mobile as a SIM-only offer for business customers. The product includes a feature the company calls Roll & Share.

The company said the feature rolls over unused data for up to 12 months into a "Databank". It said the unused data can then be shared automatically with other team members if they need it.

Sky Business framed the feature as a way to address both unused allowances and unexpected shortfalls across a group of users. The company said the approach reflects changes in how small businesses operate and how mobile use fluctuates by role, by season, and by location.

"We've seen first-hand how much pressure mobile data is putting on small businesses. That's why we've launched Sky Business mobile which automatically rolls data over where it's needed across your team and flexes monthly to meet changing usage. This ensures you get the full value of the mobile data you pay for. At a time when all costs are under scrutiny and ways of working are more flexible, mobile data should be easy to track and manage not another source of anxiety or inefficiency on the profit and loss statement," said Thavapalan.

Sky Business said it expects demand for flexible mobile data management to grow as SMEs rely more heavily on mobile connectivity for core processes, including communications and payments.