London Mayor announces plans to boost connectivity

London is set to introduce several new measures to improve digital connectivity across the city and tackle areas of poor connectivity.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan plans to deploy a ‘Not-Spot’ team that will address areas of poor connectivity in the city, known as ‘not-spots’, as part of the initiative.

A City Hall summit will also be conducted to familiarise all local authorities with the project, as well as assist them in procuring Digital Infrastructure Funding from the government.

The Digital Connectivity Funding Forum summit will also help outline the work to be carried out by the Not-Spot Team, and allow participants to share ideas and develop the ideal method to boost connectivity across London.

Some parts of the city are currently affected by slow and unreliable internet services, including Rotherhithe, parts of Westminster and London underground tunnels.

Transport for London (TfL) is working to provide mobile connectivity to London Underground tunnels, which are regarded as some of the most high-profile not spots in the country. 

Khan’s new Not-Spot Team will be responsible for finding the most problematic connectivity spots in London and collaborating with local authorities and network providers to identify the issues and improve connectivity.

Khan said: “If we are to remain competitive in the global economy, we need to ensure every Londoner is able to access a fast and reliable digital connection.

“That means working to boost connectivity across London; tackling not-spots, delivering connectivity in the London Underground and working with local authorities to provide digital infrastructure fitting of a global tech hub.”

The Mayor is currently writing to all local authorities in London to encourage the boroughs to bid for the UK Government’s Digital Infrastructure Funding programme.

The newly built Elizabeth Line is set to have consistent mobile coverage and access to the internet across the network upon its launch in December next year.