Commuters have warmly welcomed the announcement made by city authorities that it will provide 4G connectivity for passengers using the London Underground from 2019 onwards. This latest program represents the latest in a series of initiatives being spearheaded by city officials, who are aiming to make London one of the world's 'smartest cities'.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan made the official announcement, and whilst details on the initiative remain vague - Khan insisted the technology will be deployed by Transport for London by 2019. The most evident commitment is to provide the Elizabeth Line, often referred to as Cross-Rail, with mobile coverage when it opens in December 2018.
London's Mayor has previously spoken of his desire and ambition to make London a 'smart city', and this new initiative represents another progressive move which would greatly enhance and improve the customer experience for daily commuters in the city. Currently, Virgin Media provides Wi-Fi to 250 stations on the London Underground.
The new measures set to be introduced by the Mayor also includes the formation of a new Not-Spot Team, which has been specifically designed to work with local authorities and service providers in order to boost connectivity in some of London's poorest connected areas. In addition to this, Khan also revealed that a new Chief Digital Officer for the city would be appointed in the near future.
Khan said London was a leading global technology hub, but expressed his frustrations in relation to its digital connectivity, and insisted he had to be improved. He firmly believes that the innovative new measures set to be implemented will vastly improve these issues and pave the way for London to be one of the world's 'smartest cities'.
The Mayor of London said: "London is now a leading global tech hub, with thriving start-ups alongside major companies like Facebook, Amazon and Google. But our digital connectivity needs to be improved - internet connectivity is now a key public utility, and it is no surprise that some businesses see poor connectivity as a barrier to growth.
Khan stressed the importance of remaining competitive in the global economy, especially with the growing concern raised by the uncertainty of Brexit. Khan added: "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."