Mayor of London announces new schemes to improve city's broadband
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced two new schemes that aim to improve the city's broadband infrastructure.
Firstly, the Connectivity Ratings Scheme will enable both businesses and residents to access updates on when superfast broadband services reach their area. This will help landlords and internet service providers (ISPs) to better identify areas that need addressing.
The second scheme is the city's first ever interactive Connectivity Map, which will offer information to Londoners about broadband connectivity in their area. Similarly to the ratings scheme, this will also give broadband providers a clearer picture of where demand is highest.
Johnson wants to boost London's broadband credentials in a bid to establish the city as the best-connected in Europe. At the moment, while most parts of London are on a par with the rest of the UK, inside the City of London, Westminster, Tower Hamlets and Southwark speeds are well below average.
The new announcements, which Johnson made on Wednesday (17 June) during London Technology Week, come as part of the existing London Infrastructure Plan 2050. Within this plan, Johnson has committed to delivering superfast broadband at affordable prices to 99 per cent of the city's properties by 2018.
The London mayor said: “The incredible excitement generated by London Technology Week is proving once-and-for-all that there is very little to match our great city when it comes to tech innovation, expertise and entrepreneurial spirit.
"By working to deliver world class affordable connectivity for everyone we are ensuring that London has the digital infrastructure in place to stay ahead of our competitors, allowing our tech sector to remain a crucial generator of jobs and growth.”
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(Image: Andrew Bossi)
