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How you could win back 22 days every single year with one simple change

The average person wastes nearly two hours a week on the commute and more than an hour sitting in waiting rooms, which could be better spent

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You could save time by using your waits more efficiently

Brits could unlock more than three weeks of unproductive time a year if they could run their lives more effectively from their mobiles on-the-go.

The average person wastes nearly two hours a week on the commute and more than an hour sitting in waiting rooms, according to research by VodafoneThree. Picking up children and other dependents also burns through more than an hour of potentially useful time.

In total, Brits' unproductive time amounts to more than 10 hours a week - far more than Hungary, France, Germany, Spain, Australia, Singapore and South Korea.

If the UK adopted the on-the-go mentality of Hungary - which ranked as the most productive in the study - Brits could claw back 22 days a year.

The knock-on effect is huge, with the country missing out on an annual 115billion boost to the economy because workers are unable to make better use of their time on the move.

Biggest gains could come from simple everyday tasks, such as accessing and collaborating on work documents, taking calls while commuting and joining remote NHS consultations.

The research also found that many Brits still feel tied to fixed locations with a third reluctant to leave their home or office Wi-Fi and almost half tied to their desk for most of their working day.

Lack of flexibility extends beyond the working week with 34% saying their weekend to-do list would be shorter if they could be more productive on the go.

The findings follow a government consultation which focused on supporting investment and innovation in mobile infrastructure to drive growth nationwide.

VodafoneThree is investing 11 billion to improve the UKs mobile networks, with 5G Standalone coverage set to reach 99% of the population by 2030 and 99.96% by 2034.

The rollout will help Brits work more productively on the go, while boosting access to public services and also cut NHS costs.

Estimates suggest that improved connectivity could eliminate more than 35million missed remote appointments a year by allowing people to book and reschedule on the go. The potential annual saving is 1.36billion.

Andrea Don, chief network officer at VodafoneThree, said: Boosting the UKs productivity doesnt have to mean spending more hours behind our desks. But to change the way the nation works, we need mobile networks that keep us connected to colleagues, technology and essential services on the move.

Our 11 billion network investment is already helping communities across the UK to be more connected, productive and prosperous. But to truly catch up with the rest of Europe and beyond, we have to treat our mobile networks as Critical National Infrastructure.

The UK Government is rightly taking this issue seriously. With improvements to the planning system and regulations fit for the digital economy, our networks can help to make public services more accessible, close digital divides and lay the foundations for growth.

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