For most construction sites, the best internet is a 5G or 4G router that can be live within days, upgraded to a fixed line for long projects, with the mobile connection kept as automatic backup. Head offices usually suit full fibre (FTTP) or a leased line. The right choice depends on location, project length, number of users and how much downtime you can accept, so check coverage before committing.
Every construction site is different
A construction business may have a head office, several live sites, temporary compounds, home workers, engineers on the road and subcontractors needing guest access. The aim is the same experience everywhere: the same systems, the same security, wherever someone is working.
Which connection should you choose?
| Connection | Best for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Full fibre (FTTP) | Head office, permanent and regional offices | High speed at low cost. Full fibre now reaches 71% of Scottish premises (Ofcom, 2025) |
| Leased line | Head offices, multi-site firms, heavy cloud use | Dedicated bandwidth, the same upload and download speeds, and a guaranteed fix time |
| 5G / 4G | Temporary site offices, short projects, backup | Live in days, with no wait for fixed-line installation |
| Resilient failover | Anywhere downtime is unacceptable | Dual lines, multiple carriers, mobile backup and SD-WAN, so one connection takes over when another fails |
Check mobile coverage at the exact site before relying on 4G or 5G. Scotland has the lowest 4G coverage by area of any UK nation, although 5G is available outside 77% of premises (Ofcom, 2025). External antennas and choosing the right network make a big difference.
How to set up site WiFi properly
Poor wireless coverage affects tablets, laptops, phones, CCTV, printers, meeting rooms and visitors. A well-designed site network has reliable coverage, secure sign-in, separate guest access, smooth handover between access points as people move around, performance monitoring and room to grow. WiFi should be designed, not just installed.
How do you connect every site together?
SD-WAN (secure, managed connections between sites) and modern secure networking link offices and compounds as one network, apply the same security policies everywhere, prioritise critical applications and let you monitor performance from one place.
Plan for the unexpected
Ask yourself:
- What happens if the office internet fails?
- How quickly can a new site be brought online?
- Can staff keep working remotely?
- Is failover automatic?
- Can critical systems be reached from another location?
Business continuity belongs in every connectivity plan. Future site technology, such as smart CCTV, internet-connected (IoT) sensors, connected plant, digital inspections and real-time reporting, all depends on reliable connectivity.
How Indigo does this. The most common mistake we see is choosing connectivity on price alone. We ask clients to work out what losing connectivity for an hour costs, not just the monthly line rental. For new compounds, we usually deploy a managed 5G router within 2–3 working days, order a fixed line if the project is long enough, and keep the 5G unit as automatic failover. Every connection we manage is monitored 24/7.
Sources: Ofcom, Connected Nations: Nations report 2025 (Scotland), 19 November 2025.
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